


For Science

by AshenStatic



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Broken Bones, Concussions, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Healing Magic to be specific, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, You are a smol sad bean who needs love and protection, ✨✨Magic✨✨
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-23 19:38:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 45,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10725849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshenStatic/pseuds/AshenStatic
Summary: Nothing was going right. The colleges you applied to didn't want anything to do with you, your parents were dissapointed with your life choices, and you were an arachnaphobe stuck rooming with a bug maniac. Thankfully a much needed break shows up in the form of a camping trip with friends. On Mt. Ebott, no less! You could finally have some fun and not worry about anything else. It's not like there's a gaping hole for you to fall in....right?





	1. Your Best Friends

 

 

 

 

            "_______!! It's back on!!" 

            "Coming..." With a resigned sigh, you trudged back to your roommate's couch and joined him in watching a documentary about bugs. The previous commercial had given you the chance to search the small kitchenette for something to eat, but coming back to the television was a reminder of why your stomach was rejecting everything.

            "I don't know how you can keep watching this stuff, Mike. It's so-"

            "Fantastic, I know!! The way spiders eat each others heads is just fascinating!! Like, why is it only the females? Why not the males? Though I guess if both of them eat the other after mating, there'd be a lot less spiders in the world. We can't have  _that_ now, can we?" A shudder ran down your spine.

            "R-Right..." The documentary continued, only serving to upset your stomach further. It's not that you had a problem with bugs in general. The amount of detail these shows went into about every single disgusting feature they had was just a bit unsettling, but you held nothing against bugs at all!

 

            It was those damn spiders.

 

            Something about them never sat well with you. The way they silently crept into someone's home and stayed hidden until they had established an entire nest was absolutely mortifying, and some of them were so poisonous, their venom could  _dissolve a persons arm!_  How were people so comfortable knowing that these  _things_  could be living right under their beds?!?

 

            "Hey ______, you alright? You look a little palish green." It took a bit of willpower, but you were able to keep your very early breakfast from coming up.

 

            "I-I think I need a minute..." With one more shudder taking hold of you, your feet carried you away from the tv and out the front door for some much needed air. Being separated from the sickening documentary allowed your stomach to settle down as you sucked in precious oxygen.

            How you ended up rooming with this weirdo wasn't really a mystery. You'd known Mike since Sophomore year in high school, along with your other childhood friends, and had decidedly overlooked his interest with bugs because, face it, that's what friends do. It was fun hanging out with him and the others, but the end of Senior year came far too quickly and blindsided a good chunk of your tight-knit circle. Those who knew what they were going to do with their lives quickly settled down, while those who didn't stuck together in order to survive until they discovered their paths through life. That included you and Mike. Your other friends had already paired up, leaving the arachnid obsessed Michael Vargas as the only choice left. Lucky you.

            A shout came from indoors, breaking the calm silence.

            "______, you got a message on your desktop!" With a morose grumble, you trudged back into the apartment and hurried to your room, avoiding more disgusting insect facts. Just as Mike had said, there was a notification telling of a friend's arrival on Skype.

 

             _Moonwolf03: ______, you won't believe what happened at work!!_

 

            This was Audrey, one of your aforementioned childhood friends. The two of you were nearly inseparable, and would always share any good news with the other at the first chance you got. A smiled crept onto your face at the thought of this, due to the current demonstration of this fact.

 

             _AshenStatic: What is it?_

 

_Moonwolf03: this famous guy came through my line at the grocery store today!! i got him to strike a pose and everything!!!!_

 

_AshenStatic: Uh...who was it exactly?_

 

_Moonwolf03: kyle chandler!! he came through my line ohmygodimdying_

 

_AshenStatic: Damn, son. That's quite the accomplishment ._._

 

_Moonwolf03: i knowwwwww_

 

            It was at that point that another friend of yours signed on. As soon as enough time passed for him to gather his bearings, you invited him to the chat with Audrey.

 

             _KitKat: Bro, you'll never guess who I saw I at the store today_

 

_AshenStatic: Was it Kyle Chandler?_

 

_KitKat: ......Audrey told you, didn't she_

 

_Moonwolf03: ha ha, i was here first!_

 

_KitKat: Ah, whatever. Didn't get to talk to him anyway._

 

            That was just like Tyler. He could never hold a grudge. Nothing really got him too riled up, and even when he  _did_  get angry, it was always in this subdued way like he knew the reason wasn't worth it. Tyler was always the rock for everyone in the group because  anyone could go to him with a problem, and he'd do everything in his power to sort it out. He was the comforting constant in a world of frequent changes, and right now, you needed something to rid you of the hideous memories of bugs.

 

             _AshenStatic: Hey, do you guys wanna go do something later? It's still pretty early, not even noon yet. We should really hang out._

 

_Moonwolf03: we should play DDR together :U_

 

_KitKat: Sorry Aud, but we kind of play that a little too often when you're around..._

 

_AshenStatic: Yeah, plus I'm not even that good. Two left feet, remember?_

 

_KitKat: Hey, how about we go camping?_

 

            Oh god, no. This was the exact opposite of what you wanted to do. However, through the next series of messages, Audrey appeared to hype herself up for the trip, and despite your protests, the two friends continued asking you to go with them. They'd leave without you if you didn't want to, and although you knew they were still trying to respect your wishes, you couldn't help but feel slight betrayal. Yeah, they were just going to hang out together, but it was your idea to do something in the first place!

 

             _Moonwolf03: come oooooooon, ______! It'll be fun!_

 

_KitKat:_ _We can make s'mores ;)_

 

Damn. Tyler had hit your weak spot for sweets.

 

AshenStatic: finefinefineok

 

KitKat: That's the spirit! How about you bring Mikey? He'll appreciate it.

 

The icing on the cake. If Mike were to come with, he'd spout nothing but more characteristics of various insect species. But, he would have fun...

Ah, what the hell. A friendly outing is nothing without the buggy nerd in it. He deserved to be happy too.

 

AshenStatic: Alright. What time do you guys wanna head out?

 

Moonwolf03: its only like eleven, right? how about later at five? so we can have time to get our stuff together and set up camp later and blah blah blah

 

AshenStatic: Sounds good, but where should we go?

 

KitKat: Mt. Ebott

 

Moonwolf03: ooohhhHHH YEAH

 

AshenStatic: You sure? Not afraid of any monsters coming out? -w-

 

KitKat: Haha, very funny, ______. We're going to Mt. Ebott. There are no camping regulations, so we can just plop down anywhere.

 

Moonwolf03: this is gonna be so fun, guys!!

 

AshenStatic: Yeah! But uh, maybe we should start getting stuff together. Pack food and clothes and stuff.

 

KitKat: Alright then, it's a date. Let's meet at the beginning of the trail. 'Til then, buds.

 

Moonwolf03: see you later!!

 

AshenStatic: Bye, guys

 

A click of the mouse, and you were signed off of Skype. Mt. Ebott wasn't a bad place for a camping trip. After all, the only story about it was a single missing kid report. Well, that and a weird race of monsters being sealed underneath it a few decades ago, but everyone knew monsters didn't exist. It was probably just some old folk tale passed down the ages or something. Either way, this would hopefully be a nice break from the stack of unfinished college applications on your desk.

 

"Mike! We're going camping on the mountain later!"

 

"Oh, sweet! Hang on, let me get my bug manual!" You shook your head at your friends response. Just the thing he would go for first. Disregarding the thought, you cast a glance to the papers clamoring for attention next to your computer. Recently you had been falling into a bout of sadness at the way your life had gone. Once high school let out, you had accomplished nothing whatsoever, and on top of the mediocre job you obtained at a nearby fast food restaurant, there wasn't a single college that had accepted you yet. While it was true your friends had tried to lift your spirits, the disappointed gleam in your parents' eyes only served to dampen them more. It was getting harder to stay cheery, but deep in your soul, you knew you could get through this. After that camping trip, you would sit down, finish as many applications as possible and send them off immediately. Who cared if you were rejected again? By applying over and over, you'd show perseverance, and someone would accept you for sure. It was only a matter of time 'til life changed for the better...

 

 

 

 

 

...and you were DETERMINED to make it happen.


	2. Point of No Return? Already?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lovely little camping trip to forget all your worries :)

            Preparations for camping weren't as bad as you thought they'd be. The trip to Academy for camping gear was pretty bearable considering Mike ranted about bugs instead of spiders. He also seemed to be pretty stoked about the trip, and was therefore very serious about what snacks the two of you got.

 

            "Something to give us energy so we don't crap out in the middle of things. That would  _not_  be good ," he had explained. To be honest, Mike knew a lot more about camping than you originally thought he would. By the time you had finished shopping, the two of you had enough supplies to last a few days, yet somehow, not too much stuff to pack. You could've sworn up and down that he used some kind of magic to fit everything into just three bags.

 

            "Dude, you are a complete enigma." Currently, the two of you were loading the bags into the the car his parents had loaned him.

 

            "Thank you. I try. Oh wait, I almost forgot something!" Mike dashed back inside the apartment for the forgotten item, leaving you to your thoughts again.

            That cloud of sadness was still hanging over your head, but you refused to pay it mind as you cast a glance towards Mt. Ebott. The warm summer weather provided the mountain with a beautiful layer of green, making the camping trip more appealing with every passing moment. It was a good thing you had agreed to this, especially considering how long it had been since you had taken a true break. The troubles of life had been wearing you down quite a bit, and it had never occurred to you how easy it was to fall into depression until today. It was kind of scary.

 

            "Merry Christmas, ______!" Mike descended the stairs and ran directly to you, thrusting something into your hands. It was a deep brown, hard cover journal with the word  _Thoughts_  printed on the front. "I got this for you at Audrey's job yesterday. You've been pretty down lately, so I thought maybe you could write down all the awesome stuff we do together and look back on it when you need some cheering up."

 

            "Aww..." You gave him a smile. "Thank you, Mike. I really appreciate it."

 

            "Well, we're friends, you know? Gotta watch out for each other. Like now." He lifted up a small, zipped up bag. "I brought your backpack. You left it on the couch."

 

            "Oh man, I almost forgot that!"

 

            "Can't leave without those snacks, right?"

 

            "Got that right, Mikey! Now come on, Tyler and Audrey are waiting." Replying with a nod, your friend handed you your bag and ran around to the other side of the car, hopping into the drivers seat. You took a single glance at the shared apartment before climbing in as well, mentally preparing yourself for the fun you'd be having.

 

\--

 

            Time had flown by far quicker than expected. Before you and Mike got to the trail, your friends had called, saying that they'd find a spot to set up camp since the sun was starting to set. Daylight savings time and whatnot.

            Audrey was at the foot of the mountain when you had finally arrived and lead the two of you to the tent.

 

            "You're gonna love it, we picked an  _amazing_  spot! It's got this awesome view of the city, and it has a giant log to sit on for when we make a fire, and the ground is flat so we don't have to worry about lumps-"

 

            "Are there any anthills nearby?"

 

            "Nope!"

 

            "Aww, I wanted to see if I could make my own ant farm..." You snickered at the conversation, preferring to listen rather than talk. Seeing your friends still get along was something that made you happy, and that happiness was improved when the campsite finally came into view. Tyler, who was currently making a wooden teepee for a fire, lifted up a stray stick in greeting.

 

            "Hey, slowpokes! What took you so long?"

 

            "Bro, you need to help me find some ants!"

 

            "Sorry Mike, no can do. Got to get the fire started before it gets too dark."

 

            "Here, I think I have a lighter in my backpack." Crouching down next to the aforementioned log, you unzipped the back and dug around for the small trinket. Once your hand closed around it, you pulled it out and tossed it to Tyler.

 

            "Thanks, ______." He flicked the top off and proceeded to try and set fire to the mini teepee.

 

            "You promised me s'mores, remember? Can't make s'mores without a fire!"

 

            "Haha, that I did. That I did..." The wood was set alight, providing a bit more time for you and Mike to set up the tent you brought. Tyler returned your lighter and gave you a smile.

            "Glad you could make it, bud." You smiled in return.

 

            "Thanks."

 

            "Come on guys, those s'mores aren't gonna make themselves!"

 

            "At least let me and ______ pitch the tent! We just got here!"

 

            "Oh, right, sorry."

            And thus was the start of a great camping trip. The tent was set up with yours and Audrey's belongings, while the other was occupied by Tyler's and Mike's items. It wasn't made clear who exactly brought the sticks to roast marshmallows, but you were thankful for the plethora of graham crackers you had stuffed into your backpack, for a good chunk of them was gone by the end of the night.

            A few hours before heading to sleep, the four of you decided on telling stories around the fire, just as any camping trip required. Mike had chosen something about spiders, dear god, while Audrey told a tale of a magical land called EarthSea, where wizards and dragons roamed wild. Your story was of a fateful encounter between a human and an alien by the name of Kisshu, and of course, Tyler chose to tell the rumor of the race of monsters living underneath the mountain.

 

            "The King and Queen were surprised to find that their army had been defeated, but they resigned to the humans' demands and migrated into a cave that led underneath the mountain. Having gathered together their strongest mages, the humans cast a spell over the entrance and made a barrier to seal in the monsters forever, so that they could never hurt anyone again."

            "Do you think they had bug monsters??"

            "You bet your ass they did. There were all _sorts_ of monsters: ghosts, elementals, fish people, and even skeletons. All living underneath our feet." Tyler took a swig of soda from the can he was holding. "Tell _that_ to your kids. See if they cry about monsters in the closet."

            "I'm not exactly sure if I'll be able to even _afford_ kids, Ty. What with student debt and all..." Seeing that the conversation was about to take a depressing turn, Audrey intercepted your train of thought with a side hug.

            "That's ok, ______. Not everyone has loads of time and cash for such a big responsibility, but you know what you _can_ afford?" You turned your gaze to her and opened your mouth in question, but before you could speak, Audrey shoved something sweet past your teeth. " _A FAT MARSHMALLOW IN YOUR MOUTH, THAT'S WHAT._ " Everyone around the fire erupted into a fit of laughter, including yourself once the sugary blob was chewed and eaten. By this time, it was clear that there would be no discussion of life's problems on this trip. Only fun was allowed up on the mountain, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. It was exactly what you came here for.

            "You know guys, it's been a while since we've hung out like this. Nothing to bother us, just having a good time..." Tyler raised the soda he had into the air, a sweet smile on his face. "I propose a toast. To happiness and health; May you each live long and prosper, and make the most of your days."

            "Ooh, ooh, me next!" Audrey was the second to raise her juice, but only after a moment to think about her toast. "To... To strength and power when hard times come. I know how difficult things can be, especially at our age when we're just getting out into the world, but I know each of you has the will to get through it all. I'm looking at you, best friend." Your friend tossed you a wink, to which you could only smile in response.

            "Alright, I guess I'm up." Now Mike was raising his water, a smile of his own beaming at everone. "To acceptance. I've always been the odd man out just cause of my whole bug interest, but it was ______ who stepped out of the crowd and talked to me when no one else would. If it wasn't for them, I never would have met you amazing people who've brought nothing but joy to my life." Mike looked directly at you. "And for that, you have my eternal gratitude." This time, all eyes turned to you. Your friends gave you a bit of time to think of course, but you already knew what your toast would be as you lifted your drink to join the other three in the air.

            "To love. A day hasn't gone by that I don't think of how much you all have helped me. Without you, I don't know where I'd be, and it's the support and love you give that keeps me going. I love you all so much, and I know that we'll stay together for a very long time, so until we part ways again, let's have fun and enjoy each others company." A loud cheer rose above the fire at your words before the four of you downed the rest of your drinks. As the liquid flowed down your throat, you knew once again that this camping trip was a good idea. There would be nothing, absolutely _nothing_ , that would ruin this trip for you.

\--

            Some time had passed since the toast, and everyone had been asleep for a while before you snuck out of your tent. The comfy pajamas you wore were cozy enough to entice you back to bed, but the pressure in your bladder said otherwise. Perhaps drinking that entire soda before the trip itself was a bad idea, what with the toast and all. It didn't matter now, for you had already donned your sneakers and backpack, and were using a flashlight to navigate in the dark. While it may have been a bit disgusting to think about, you had to avoid leaving a smell near the camp, so the only solution was to walk a ways away from the tent. It didn't matter much. The night sky was beautiful, and with the new moon giving up its light, the stars shined brighter than ever.

            You always like the stars in the sky. Even though the promises of wishes made on them were nearly always false, you couldn't help but admire them. They were always a constant in life. Come hell or high water, they'd still be there in the sky, twinkling down upon you.

            The stars would have to wait though. Your bladder was getting a little impatient and forced you to pick up the pace. Thankfully it wasn't long before you found a suitable spot to do your business, and relief was welcomed with open arms. It was a good thing you packed some teepee and hand sanitizer in your backpack!

            Once that was over, you were about to return to camp, but decided another look at the stars wouldn't kill you. In fact, just to feed the good mood you were in, why not make a wish?

 

            "Let's see....." The last time you had wished on a star, things didn't turn out so well. You knew better than to wish for grande things like money or fame, so perhaps something a little simpler would do. Adding a dash of ambiguity would probably help as well, considering cosmic forces like to be so. Finally, after a small amount of thinking, your wish was ready.

            "I wish... I wish for a better future for my life. Anything at all will do. Just... I'd like to finally  _stay_  happy for once..." Well, so much for ambiguity. That would have to do. It was time for you to start heading back, anyway.

            With a smile, you gave the stars one last look and stepped in the direction of the camp.

 

            The ground immediately fell away as you missed your footing. The resulting inertia caused you to somersault in mid air, giving you a quick glance at the hole you'd slipped into. Adrenaline kicked in and you tried to grab onto something nearby to slow your fall, only to discover just how big this hole really was. However, it wasn't big enough, as the flashlight that had also fallen revealed hard rock hastily coming to meet you. Panic began to take hold, and you weren't thinking as you extended an arm to try and stop the earth coming closer and closer-

 

 

 

 

 

             ** _SNAP_**


	3. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're hurt.

            A scream ripped from your mouth at the sudden onset of pain. You didn't even register the dull ache building in your temples due to the stinging, burning sensation. Wide eyed and shaking, you slid along the hard rock towards the cone of light a few feet away. Once the flashlight was in your grasp, you turned it on your arm, hoping your stomach was up to seeing the damage.

            Honestly, the wound could have been worse.  While the ninety-degree angle it was bent at made you want to hurl, at least the bone wasn't sticking out of the skin. This made you feel slightly better up until it hit you that you were now stuck in a hole with a broken arm and a bad headache. In the middle of the woods. On a mountain. At night. Alone.

            Dear god, you were going to die down here.

            No, stop that. Thinking that way wouldn't help at all, and it certainly wouldn't heal your arm any faster. It was time to stop panicking and focus on finding a way out of here.  
            Going through a list of things to do, first you checked on the contents of your backpack. It was too bad you hadn't brought any bandages for the small scrapes on your legs, but that was the least of your worries. The graham crackers were somehow still intact, and along with the various packs of healthy snacks Mike had thrown in there, you had a decent amount of food to keep your energy up for a while. A light jacket was crumpled up inside the largest pocket, and it was immediately pulled out to be used for a splint. It was a good idea really, but the unfortunate fact was that there didn't seem to be any sticks around for said splint. So much for that.  
            There wasn't much else in your bag save for a bottle of water, some trash, and the journal Mike had given you. That would definitely be used to write down what had transpired once you escaped and made it back home. For now, all you could do was lightly cradle your arm to your chest and use the flashlight to observe your surroundings.  
            There wasn't much in your immediate vicinity other than a few rocks, but the flashlight did reveal that it was actually a cavern you had fallen into rather than a random hole. Your instincts immediately said to stay put until morning so your friends could find you, but the fact was, that broken arm couldn't wait until rescue came. It would most likely try to heal itself and become damaged forever, meaning there was only one other option. You would have to traverse the cavern and see where it brought you, preferably to the surface for some medical attention.

            "Here's hoping I can get out of here..." With a sigh, the backpack was slung over your shoulder, and you shakily rose to your feet. Standing had made you realize just how weak and shaky your body was. You would have to find help soon.  
            The rest of the cavern was dark as you traveled through, but what caught you off guard was the large purple doorway arching overhead at the end of the cone of light. What was architechture doing all the way down here? Had that always been there? Who even built the archway in the first place?? There were many questions flitting all throughout your mind, but the dull ache behind your eyes demanded you keep moving. The fact that there was a random purple archway in the middle of a cavern underground bothered you, but not as much as what lied behind it. Through the opening, you could see what looked like an extremely old set of ruins?? That seemed to be the right word, considering the ivy growing out of control in the room and the cracked stairs leading to another doorway. It was all very surreal.  
            With much hesitation, you began making your way through the following doorway. At the second room, you discovered that there seemed to be some sort of defense mechanism set up throughout the area. Were those....puzzles? Were they meant to replace booby traps? What was this strange place you had fallen into??

           "...I hope I didn't hit my head  _too_  hard..." Taking a few tentative steps into the other half of the room, you dicovered that the puzzles were not activated. This one looked as if it were supposed to be a floor made of spikes and perhaps one was meant to find a safe path through them, but said spikes were safely tucked beneath the ground, allowing you to cross unharmed. As if you needed any more of that. However, you were grateful that someone had left all the puzzles unattended, for you had gone through a few more rooms without incident before something else stopped you. While you were wanting to get through these ruins as quickly as possible, you just  _had_ to stop and examine the...thing...in front of you.  
            It closely resembled a frog, but was pure white in color with a strange mark on it's belly that looked much like a face. The creature had been hopping in the opposite direction you were heading when you discovered it, but now the two of you had stopped to stare at each other, wondering exactly what you had run into. The staring only lasted for about ten to fifteen seconds before something absolutely shocking happened.

            "Are you lost?" The sudden speech sent your eyebrows flying upwards.

            "I- Uh- Wh-.....Huh??"

            "I said, are you lost? You look like you need help, especially with an arm like that." It took a few more moments to register that this creature  _(was it really a frog??)_ had spoken to you, even having the courtesy to ask about the serious injury you had sustained. There was still a bit of shock left in your brain, but you finally managed to reply, taking quick note of how this thing may know where you could get medical aid.

            "Y-Yes, I am! Do you know where I can find a doctor?" At the word 'doctor', the frog immediately perked up.

            "Oh yeah, I know  _exactly_ who you need to see! It's obvious you're new here, so just follow me, ok?" The frog began bounding away to the next room and you immediately followed, finding it difficult to keep the eagerness out of your voice when speaking to it.

            " _Jesus Christ, thank you, thank you, thank you!!_  I can't  _tell_ you how much I appreciate this!"

            "No problem! Happy to help!" The two of you continued to trek through the ruins, stopping every now and then for a small rest. It was only after a third break did you realize exactly what was going on. Here you were, following a talking white frog without question through an architectural anomaly that shouldn't exist, and no explanation as to how said anomaly got here. Yep. You definitely had a concussion. Either way, you were moving through the cavern at a much quicker pace than before, so it didn't matter as much at this point in time. It would become a greater problem the longer you went without a doctor, so the faster you got above ground before then, the better.

            "Hey, are we almost..." The question was forgotten when you were suddenly met with a quaint little home in the middle of the building. Before you could question why someone would build a house inside of a temple, the frog bounded towards the entrance and hopped onto the knob, hanging on as the front door swung open. It continued forwards, forcing you to follow despite the great discomfort you felt by trespassing in someone else's home.

            "Down here!" A few red flags were raised when the creature began hopping down the stairs to what appeared to be a basement. The basement was where pedophiles and serial killers took their victims in order to do unspeakable things to them, and this frog seemed to think that was where you needed to go. It _was_ leading you to a doctor, right? Obviously, you needed to voice your concerns before anything else happened.'

            "Excuse me, but... Are you sure this is the right way? I don't think a doctor would be down here..." Without stopping, the frog replied.

            "No, silly! You don't need to see the basement! It's what's  _after_  the basement that's important." Well that was vague. Though it did help a bit knowing the frog (hopefully) wasn't planning on killing you.

            ....Wow. Never thought you'd be afraid of being killed by a frog.

            "But what's- ooh... Hold on...." You had to stop for a moment and lean against the wall. The pain in your arm had dulled ever so slightly, but now everything was spinning. Closing your eyes helped a little, but you were forced to wait until everything had come to a halt. When you opened your eyes again, the frog was giving you a look of concern.

            "Are you ok? You're not gonna fall down, are you?" The funny choice of words made you chuckle a small bit.

            "Hah, I already fell down. I think I hit my head harder than I thought, though." Now you could stand without the wall as support. "We should keep moving before it gets worse.' While you may have been talking to an imaginary frog that most likely didn't exist, you had to admit, the thing had good common sense. It didn't object to your decision and continued down the long hallway in the basement, looking back every now and then to make sure you were still on your feet. Things were not going well regarding injury, but as long as you could find a way out of this cave before your headache worsened, you would keep going. It was only when a large set of double doors appear that things began to feel that much more weird. Something felt a little off abut those doors. This place may be someone else's home in the middle of another building, but it a lot safer to stay in here than go through the doors and face god-knows-what. The only bad thing about that was getting no medical help for your arm and concussion, and that was something that would surely get you killed or permamently disabled.  
            Your hands were tied. There was nothing else you could do besides entering another unknown threshold, and it seemed that the frog agreed as it stopped just in front of the doors and turned to face you.

            "Alright, you gotta go through here and find a small skeleton named Sans."

            ....What.

            "After that, he should be able to get you to the Doctor. Got it?" Eyes full of confusion, you reiterated what the frog had said just to be sure you heard correctly.

            "So....you want me to go out there and find a  _skeleton._  Named after a  _font._ " This made the frog smile (how did it do that?) in approval.

            "Yup, you got it. Just be sure to find him quick, ok? It's nothing but snow for a while, and it doesn't look like you'd last out there too long."

            "Gee, thanks..."

            "Oh, and tell the Doc I said hi, would you? He helped my sister when she got sick, so don't forget. ok?" At this point, all you could do was nod, not understanding a single thing this frog said anymore. At least it was nice, and it didn't seem to have led you astray. Guess you got lucky.

            "Hey, thanks for helping me again. I really appreciate it."

            "Sure thing! Just be careful out there." You smiled warmly at the white frog.

            "I will. Thank you." With a deep breath, you turned towards the doors and began pushing them open with your good arm. Of course, there was more hallway for you to traverse, but it provided a much needed break from the crazy hallucination dreamed up in your head. Or....was that real? The door certainly felt real, but that didn't mean the frog was. Although, it did seem pretty concerned...  
            Oh well. This would all be over and done with soon enough, as another set of doors was becoming visible. When you stopped hallucinating, it'd be easier to get back above ground and to a real doctor. Then you could return to your friends and family, get those college applications sent in (since you dominant arm was luckily unscathed), and turn everything around once and for all. Ah, the good life.

 

 

            With a mighty push filled with DETERMINATION, you slowly slid the door open...


	4. Is This Real?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surely you're hallucinating, right?

                        That frog wasn't kidding.  _Damn_ it was cold! These comfy pajamas weren't doing a thing to keep you warm, and the snow was quickly infiltrating your shoes and socks. You had to move fast, otherwise you'd freeze. The only good thing that came from this was the numbness spreading through your arm.

  
            ...Wait a second.  
  
            Oh god, this was all a hallucination, right?! Then how were your feet getting cold, and why was there wind blowing through your hair and- oh no oh no, your arm was going numb, you were losing feeling in your arm even though this wasn't real! What the hell was going on?!  
  
            "Woah, woah, woah, ok. Gotta calm down. Just....find the tiny skeleton, get out, get to a doctor." There was no time to worry about hallucinations. You had to get help, and if that meant following the crazy delusions in your head, then so be it. With a fresh burst of DETERMINATION, your feet began to carry you through the snow at a faster pace, following the path through the slushy forest. Paths were good things. They meant people had traveled there often enough to make a road to follow, and they also lead to said people, and maybe even an escape from this crazy reality you were seeing. However, this logic was also flawed because there was no possible way a forest full of snow could exist underground, but if this was your mind's way of saying 'this is where you should go', then you weren't about to question anything anymore. From here on out, you would just accept everything you saw to whatever degree your brain enabled you to.  
            With this mentality in mind, it was easier to keep moving through the soft, quiet forest, and any sense of time eventually disappeared. There was no telling how long you'd been walking, but the unyielding movement was jostling your arm, sending jolts of pain shooting up past your elbow, despite the cold doing its best to numb everything. It was a welcome sensation though, as it served to keep you awake. The pain was especially appreciated when one of your feet fumbled over something, sending you flying to the ground. It was at that moment the world began spinning again, so much so that your ears didn't register the muted shuffling slowly coming towards you.  
  
            "..um-" You snapped your head upwards and immediately regretted it.  
  
            "Ohhh, god... Just... Hold on..." A moment passed before everything came back into focus, allowing you to see who was standing before your collapsed form. It appeared to be a small skeleton snuggled up in a slightly oversized blue jacket, a bouncy ball gripped in their hands. The fuzzy lining of the hood was most likely keeping half of their skull from freezing, but it definitely didn't block the cute, innocent eyes staring down at you.  
  
            "...are you a human?" There was a moment of hesitation before you answered.  
  
            "...Uh...yeah." A small groan was heard as you began picking yourself up off the snow-laden ground. "Is your name Sans?" Those adorable eyesockets were instantly filled with wonder, a loud gasp echoing after you.  
  
            " _oh my god, you even know my name! are you part magic??_ "  
  
            "....No. Listen, I'm really hurt, and I was told by a frog to talk to you? I need to find a doctor as soon as possible." Now the skeleton was hopping up and down excitedly.  
  
            "o _oh, ooh, i know!!_  my dad's a doctor! i should bring you to him, he'd be so happy to see another human! come on, follow me!" Without warning, Sans darted down the path with energy only a child could have, leaving you in a confused stupor before finally dashing after him. It took a lot more running than you thought to catch up, but you fell into step with the small kid and were able to at least keep him in sight.  
  
            That is, until everything became wobbly again.  
  
            For the third time that day(night?), you fell on your face, hissing in pain caused by the broken arm. Sans quickly took notice and went to make sure the human he'd found wasn't dying.  
  
            "are you ok? do you need some food? i don't have any snacks because i ate 'em all, but i know dad has some really good ones so i'll make sure to get some for you!" It took a moment for the pain to subside, but an ocean was still waving everything back and forth.  
  
            "I appreciate the offer-  _ugh_..." You slowly tried getting to your knees, and decided to sit and wait until you could move without falling. "But I don't think I'll be able to walk for much longer..."  
  
            "ohhh, you need someone to help you move? i know someone who can do that! here!" To your surprise, the small skeleton held out a hand. How this child was so trusting to someone he had only recently met was beyond you, but it was nice to know that he was genuinely trying to help. At least, that's what you thought when you took his hand. This idea was tested when everything suddenly became wobbly once again and you had to shut your eyes to keep whatever balance you had left. The sudden wooziness subsided, but left your stomach doing flips, making it very hard not to throw up. To try and counteract this, you laid on your side in order to use the solidground as an anchor, somehow managing not to jostle your arm again.  
  
            "uh, whoops. sorry about that." The tiny skeleton knelt down and gave you a pat on the head. "i forget this stuff sometimes. don't worry though, i'll go get Grillby and he'll help me get you to dad! be right back, ok?" Light footsteps bounded away from your collapsed form, followed by the sound of a door opening. That....That was a door, right? Where in the world did-  
  
            "......How." You had opened your eyes to see the supposed door Sans had gone through, only to find that you were laying in the middle of a small town, complete with a small inn, a shop, and even a library. Currently, a building with a fluorescent sign was keeping you company in Sans's absence.  
            "What the heck is a Grillby's?" Once again, you tried to stand, but only made it back to a sitting position. Whatever that little skeleton had pulled, it sure did a number on you. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to follow him. Before you could entertain these thoughts, however, the door to the Grillby's swung open, a blue blur rushing out and standing beside you.  
  
            "look, see? i told you i found a human!" Things had already gotten pretty weird, but it only became weirder when a person stepped out of the doorway and came into view. Well, they would be the equivalent of a person down here if their(his? Sans had said he earlier) entire body wasn't on fire. At least the bartender uniform he wore hadn't set alight.  
  
            "....Um." You awkwardly waved your good hand. "...Hi."   
  
            "......" The fire said nothing, only shifting his shoulders as if sighing. Surprisingly, he began untying the apron around his waist and set it on something the door blocked from view, turning to look inside and making a few crackling noises. Was that how he talked?  
  
            "you'll do it??" Sans began jumping excitedly again and hugged the flaming person's leg. "thaaaank youuuuu!!!" The bartender looked down at the skeleton and crackled something, making the kid let go. "ok, i'll go grab an umbrella!" Once again, Sans dashed off, this time leaving you with a person you didn't know.  
  
            "Sooo... My name's ______." A pair of glasses turned to look at you. "I....think Sans said your name was Grillby, right?" A slow nod in response. So far so good. "Ok. Cool." This time, you held out a hand in greeting. "...It's nice to meet you, I guess."  
  
            "......" When Grillby went to shake your hand, you expected to catch fire. However, nothing of the sort happened, and instead of unbearable heat, the man was pleasantly warm. How exactly did that work?  
  
            "ok, let's go!!" You jumped, somehow still not making it off the ground.  
  
            "Jesus Christ, don't scare me like that!!"  
  
            "who's jesus christ?" It suddenly occurred to you that the surrounding people may not be hallucinations because if your mind was making them up, wouldn't they know who Jesus was? Sure you may or may not be following a the corresponding religion(it wasn't important enough to get into right now), but you at least knew who the religious figure was. Surely figments of your imagination would as well?

 

            "Uh-"

 

            "whatever, let's just go!" The small skeleton dashed off in another direction once again, leaving you and Grillby to stare after him.

  
            "...Clearly he's not very patient." There was only crackling in response as the man of fire pulled you up by the hand he still held. The urge to let your legs give out was still there, but they managed to stay strong and keep you standing, albiet leaning on Grillby for support.

He began leading you in the direction Sans had run, going at your pace so as not to push you too much. Things were beginning to look up again, especially now that you had someone to help you walk. Although you weren't sure how these things could really be happening, you didn't question them anymore, remembering your earlier decision to not do so. Either way, you were getting closer to a doctor, and that's all you really needed.

 

            Here's hoping you don't fall again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this is NOT Underswap. You'll see.


	5. Everything Will Be Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You think about home.

"...You want me.....to ride in a dog." Sans was currently trying to get you to crawl into a boat manned by a strange figure in a hood. What made the situation even weirder was that the mast of said boat was in the shape of a dog's head, but your concussion made it surprisingly difficult to comprehend that the boat was not an actual animal.

            "nooooo, it's a boat! it just _looks_ like a dog!" You gave the boat a sideways look.

            "....I don't know...." Your hesitation was beginning to make the small skeleton a little frustrated.

            "do you wanna go see dad or not," he questioned, crossing his tiny arms. With a defeated sigh, you approached the boat.

            "Fine." The instant you made to step into the vessel however, the world began to shift again, and you were falling. Had it not been for Grillby being there, you would have had another face full of snow. The monster even went so far as to help you into the boat! How could your mind have conjured up such a gentlemanly fire?  
            "Thanks, Grillby..." A small nod in response.

            "alright! onwards!!" The boat began moving, running on the surface of the water with legs that sprouted from nowhere, only further convincing you that it was a living animal instead of a boat. Why someone would choose to ride in a dog was beyond you, but all that mattered was getting your arm fixed so there was no permanent damage.

            "Tra la la. I heard spiders have a favorite food. It's spiders." A shiver ran down your spine at the mention of the eight-legged fiends, but luckily it seemed as if there weren't any spiders down here. At least, not that you had seen. Maybe they were hiding. And maybe you should think about something else before you start freaking yourself out.

            "So...where exactly are we?" Sans turned to you with excited eyes.

            "we're in waterfall, silly! oh, wait." He opened the umbrella and handed it to Grillby, who promptly curled underneath the cover just as a few large drops of water fell from the ceiling of the cave.

            "No, I mean... What is this place? The entirety of it. Like, the place with the snow and those weird ruins I found, this cave we're going through. What is it?" Recognition flashed in the small monster's eye sockets.

            "ohhhh i forgot! you're a human! well, this whoooooooole place is the underground, and all us monsters live here! we can't really leave because of this huge barrier that's keeping us down here, but my dad and the king are working on something to...i think it was to give us power or something? whatever it does, it's gonna be awesome since dad's the one working on it!" Wow. This kid really looked up to his father.

 

            "...So....the stories Tyler told me were true." A moment passed as you  _almost_  realized the magnitude of your situation. "....Holy shit." Grillby elbowed you in the ribs, emitting a harsh crackle that you assumed would be 'Watch your language.' You mumbled an apology before receding back into your thoughts.

            It was difficult to fully comprehend what you had been told, but it was also a little comedic that you had found an entire species nobody believed existed by just falling down a hole. You should tell Tyler and the others when you finally got out of here.

           "Tra la la."

 

\---

 

            The boat ride took a little longer than you thought it would, but the three of you eventually arrived in a barren, desolate wasteland.

 

            "Come again sometime. Tra la la." Grillby gave the cloaked figure a nod in thanks and proceeded to climb out of the boat, Sans following immediately after. For you, exiting the boat had become a challenge, just as entering was one as well, and you had to rely on Grillby to steady you once again.

 

            "God, it's hot here... Isn't there any water or something..?"

 

            "not unless you have some in your backpack. sorry!" You sighed in resignation.

 

            "Thanks, anyway.... Wait." Kneeling on the ground so as not to upset your arm, you unzipped the backpack and fished out the single bottle of water you had packed before the camping trip. "Ohhh, thank god!" Unscrewing the cap was a bit of a challenge with only one hand, but you managed to get it open, taking small sips rather than chugging the whole bottle. Being waterlogged would  _not_  help here.

 

            "how do you not remember having water?" Before you could respond, Grillby cut in with a few snaps and some more crackles. Whatever he said must've been bad because the smile on Sans' face dropped considerably.

            "oh..." The living fire gave him a slow nod. "we have to hurry then! come on human, you really need to see dad so he can help you!"

            "That's cool, just let me-" You cut yourself off with another sip of water, only to stop short when your stomach lurched. Thankfully it wasn't bad enough for you to actually upchuck anything, but it did persuade you stand still for a moment to try and let the feeling go away. It took a few seconds to actually disappear, and going by the look Sans was giving you, it was probably best to get to that doctor as soon as possible.

            "We should keep moving..." The voice was so quiet, it didn't even spook you, and you honestly thought it was another hallucination conjured up by the fall. Either way, you couldn't help but to nod and agree with it.

            "Yeah, it's probably best to keep walking" With that, the three of you continued onwards, but not before you struggled to put the water back in your bag. Who knows? Maybe it'd be useful later. Either way, things were going pretty smoothly, granted that concussion was becoming a bit more of a problem. Soon you'd be checked out by a proper physician who would help set your arm bones(radius and ulna, right?) correctly so that they wouldn't be screwed up forever, give you instructions on how to deal with this head injury, and send you on your way back home to your friends. Everything would go back to normal, and you'd have the craziest story to tell Tyler, Mike and Audrey. On top of that, your parents would finally give you that loving look that had seemed to disappear from their faces once they heard what you went through. They'd be so proud of their child that they would fawn over you like they used to when you were small, just to make sure you were alright and weren't hurt too badly. Mom and dad would be so happy that they didn't lose you and would forget all of the disappointing things they thought about you so the three of you could just be  a happy family again. Things would be ok once you got out of this cave, and you would finally be.....happy.

            "....human? why are you crying?" What was this kid talking about? You weren't crying! You were just thinking of the wonderful things that were yet to come! Obviously Sans was too young to understand. Why, anyone could reach up and feel that there were no tears falling down your-

            Oh.

            Wow, where did those come from?

            "are you alright?" You simply gave Sans a blank look, not completely understanding the situation.

            "...Yeah." Suddenly the ground looked very interesting. "At least... I _think_ I am." A small bony hand wrapped around yours. It felt very strange, seeing as you normally would never touch a skeleton or anything that seemed remotely dead.

            "that's ok! i know who can cheer you up!" This time, you gave him a knowing look.

            "Let me guess. Is it your dad?"

            "no, silly!" A light giggle emanated from the small skeleton. "my brother! he's so cute and awesome, even though he's just a little baby bones! you're gonna love him. everyone does, you know." This brought a smile on your face.

            "Oh, really?"

            "yeah! he's just the cutest little brother ever, it's no wonder he's related to the coolest dad ever! my family is amazing, just wait 'til you meet 'em!" There was something about those words that made your heart ache, but you weren't able to think about it much before Grillby places a hand on your shoulder to keep you from running into something. That something was a large, white building with only the word 'LAB' hanging over the door. It was quite odd. Why would they bring you to a laboratory? You needed a doctor, not a scientist.

 

            "What-" You didn't get a chance to finish your question before the door slid open and you were guided inside. The walls were a clean white to match the exterior, but there were a few paintings hung up to provide something to look at. Just beyond the door however, a small desk sat facing the door with a curious looking squid-monster stationed behind it. Said monster took one look at the group before their eyes widened considerably. You were kind of wondering how they didn't pop out of their head, but Sans quickly ran up to the desk and interrupted that train of thought.

 

            "we're here to see my dad! can you you tell him we're here, please?"

 

            "It's urgent..." There was that voice again! It seemed like the secretary had heard it to, for they immediately picked up something akin to a pager and focused very hard on it, so that must mean it wasn't a hallucination. But where had it come from? Only Sans had spoken, not giving the secretary a chance to, and you knew what your voice sounded like, so who could have- Wait!

            It was _Grillby!_

            Of course it was him! How could you not have gathered that in the first place? Granted you had only heard him give little snaps and crackles like a true fire did, but that didn't mean he had no actual voice! Now you felt bad for assuming the living fire was some sort of half-mute. However, he did sound rather nice. His voice was like a soft melody to your ears, and it was a little comforting if you were completely honest. You hummed in thought, not waning to make things awkward by mentioning those previous thoughts.

            "So... I'm very grateful for you guys helping me. It's nice to see decent people in places you wouldn't expect." Grillby dipped his head in thanks, while Sans beamed right at you.

            "awww, i like you too, human! you're really nice and i know dad will be excited to see you, so that means you might be able to play with me later on when there's nothing to do and you get better!" The smile left your face as you caught onto his words. Later on? Surely he didn't intend for you to stay? There were things to be done once you were patched up, and you couldn't stay down in this cave with people you barely knew. Audrey and your friends were waiting for you, as were your parents. Work would probably give you time off to let your arm heal up, but you could probably apply to another college during then to get the ball rolling again, so there wouldn't be time to stay down here and play with Sans. You'd have to thank his father for the check up soon to come, and surely he'd understand the situation once you explained it to him.

            "Sans, your father will be right up, ok?" The squid monster gave you another glance before turning their worried eyes elsewhere. You totally understood the awkwardness they felt since monsters probably hadn't seen a human being in a long time if the stories were correct.

            "thank you, elyssa!" Now that was a name you hadn't heard. Alyssa was a decent name, at least to you, but Elyssa? That was innovation. Making new names out of another was something you always found at least a bit interesting, for all the different variations of a name were like different flavors of candy. They were the same general make, but with different 'flavors' or whatever. It wasn't really a stable train of thought, anyway.  
            A sliding glass door down the hall whooshed open too quickly for you to notice.

            "This better be important, Grillby! I was attempting to-"

            "dad!!" While Sans ran up to the startled skeleton(what were you expecting? another human?), you took a moment to try and not melt right then and there. Whoever this doctor was, his voice put Grillby's to shame. It was a little deeper, and a lot more velvety with a touch of regalness that would probably be intimidating if you weren't so damn out of it.

            "Sans?" Ah, music to your ears. "What is going on here? Why are the two of you so eager to see me?" The skeleton had been looking down at his son, who was currently hugging his legs, so he hadn't seen you until the moment he looked up. When he did however, you immediately felt relieved that you could now get your arm checked out. Said injury was probably what made the skeleton blink in surprise, for while he was expecting something dire to warrant interrupting his research, he certainly hadn't expected....this.

            "...Is that..?" Grillby put a hand on your shoulder once more to indicate that you were, in fact, real.

 

 

            "...I hope you've studied enough on human anatomy, Gaster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, BRING IN THE CUTIE!


	6. Ooh, a Magical Check-Up!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Dr. Gaster.

"W-Where did you find that??"  
"daddy, the human is really hurt! they said they needed a doctor, and me and grillby brought them here so you could help them! please dad, you gotta help them, you just gotta!" This sudden onslaught of information was shocking, to say the least. Gaster mentally cursed himself for stuttering, but from the sound of it, this was not the time to be questioning your discovery.  
"...Right. Sans, stay with Grillby." The small skeleton released his father, who quickly made his way over to you.  
"but i-"  
"Human, you'll have to come with me."  
"Oh, uh, sure." The fire next to you crackled once more, warning the doctor of your sudden dizzy spells as you were quickly, yet gently, led to the previously mentioned sliding door. When you stepped inside, you were surprised to find that instead of a room or hallway, the two of you had entered an elevator. A button was pressed, and the elevator began descending.  
"I'm going to give you a list of numbers to memorize." The sudden speech caught you off guard, but you gave a small nod in acknowledgement. "The numbers are four, five, one, seven, nine. I'll ask you to recall them at a later time, so you don't have to worry about repeating them right now, alright?"  
"Ok." The elevator stopped and the doors slid open as Gaster wrapped an arm around you to make sure you didn't fall and hurt yourself.  
"Come this way, please." He gently led you down a corridor that separated into various rooms, being sure not to go too fast so as not to make you trip.  
Wow. This guy sure was polite, and by the looks of it, he was also well liked. And with that major project he was doing, it was no wonder Sans looked up to him. Jeez, you didn't even know this guy's name. Hadn't Grillby mentioned it? Gaster, right? It sounded more like a first name though, and you didn't want to seem to intrusive because you knew only really close friends called doctors by their first names. 'Doctor' was formal, and while it usually worked for others, you knew there were some doctors who felt that was actually a bit too formal, so that wouldn't work either. What the hell should you call him, then??  
You internally groaned, not knowing a frustrated look was beginning to appear on your face. You appeared to be stuck in your thoughts, for the entire time you had been following Gaster, you were completely oblivious to the shocked and worried faces of others monsters passing by. Some had begun whispering to each other, others even going so far as to poke their heads out of their respective rooms just to get a glimpse of the human Gaster had somehow acquired. It was beginning to make him a bit nervous.  
Keep looking forward, Gaster. You can deal with the rumors and speculation afterwards.  
The skeleton did his best to ignore his colleagues stares, but he could practically feel their gazes boring into him. Thankfully the two of you had reached an empty room that would suffice for temporary privacy, and he quickly shut the door behind him as you sat down on a chair off to the side. Not a second later, Gaster cast you a worried glance of his own, trying to figure out which he should deal with first; your arm or your consussion? Probably the arm. From his studies, he knew that human skeletons and skeleton monsters were enough alike that he could possibly use healing magic the same way he would if Sans had broken a bone.  
"Um..." Your voice broke him out of his thoughts. Good god, had he somehow forgotten you were there? What kind of doctor was he where he could forget his own patient??  
"Y-Yes?"  
"I don't know what to call you, but uh, my name's ______." You held out your uninjured hand. "It's nice to meet you." For a moment, the doctor just stood there, dumbfounded that you weren't freaking out about him being a monster. However, he quickly met your hand with his own, giving a small shake and a warm smile.  
"I am Doctor W.D. Gaster, but you may call me Gaster. It's nice to meet you as well, ______." Man, you could listen to that voice all day. Sadly, you would have to leave after this appointment, but you were sure someone else on the surface would have more you liked about them than just their voice. You'd meet someone better, you were sure of it, but at least this guy was nice.  
"Thanks. I just needed someone to help me with this, uh....problem." You held up you other arm, cringing a bit at the pain from slightly jostling it.  
"Ah, yes... That. We'll need to set the bone together in order for it to heal." He gave you an uneasy look. "This is going to hurt quite a bit, so I'll give you a countdown." Gaster knelt down in front of you, taking the broken part in one hand and your elbow in the other. "On three. Ready?" With a nervous face of your own, you nodded.  
"One." Wow, his eyes looked just like the pinpricks Sans had. Maybe because they're related. Duh.  
"Two." This guy better give you a lollipop for being put in this situation. Who cares if you were legally an adult? You still wanted that lollipop, damn it.  
"Three!" Gaster suddenly twisted your arm back into place with a sickening snap, and it took all your willpower to not scream and flail in pain. Instead, you gritted your teeth and covered your face with one hand, stomping your feet to quell the desire to pull back from the skeleton. It took a couple seconds, but the pain eventually lessened to a degree you could handle, leaving you feeling a little shaky.  
"______? Are you still with me?" The pain had cleared your head a little, and when you finally looked back at Gaster, his appearance finally registered in your brain.  
"Holy shit, you're a skeleton." Said skeleton gave you a coy smile.  
"Indeed, I am. Now that we've established that, let's get to healing your arm." Without warning, the pinpricks that served as Gaster's eyes began glowing a deep shade of purple, and you watched in amazement as his hands did the same. He somehow managed to wrap them around your arm without it hurting, but you were too caught up in watching the strange light transfer over to your injury to notice. It was as if cool water was being run over your arm, but it was still a little odd, to be honest. You could feel a slight pressure on the inside of your arm, but no pain.  
"....What are you doing?" He flicked his gaze up to you, but even with the smile he held, the purple glow made Gaster a little intimidating.  
"I'm using my magic to speed up the healing process. It took quite a lot of practice to learn this, but believe me, it's worth it when one has two children to look after." Right. You had nearly forgotten about Sans' existence.  
"So.... Your kids. They're named after fonts?"  
"Yes, they are. It's somewhat of a tradition for all skeleton monsters to hold a font as their name, though it takes a few days to figure out what font will fit the child's personality. Papyrus is very active, even for being so young, and Sans, well... He's a smart boy. I don't know how he manages to get into the places he does, but I am proud nonetheless. You should see him play hide-and-seek with the other children!" Gaster let out a lighthearted chuckle. "He wins every time."  
"..Wow... You really love your kids..."  
"Yes," he agreed. "They're my world." God, that look on his face made it impossible to say he was lying. But you weren't jealous. Not one bit. Nope, not at all.  
"There. That should do it." Gaster stood up, the glow fading from his eyes entirely. "Go ahead and try moving your hand. It should function normally now." Just as he asked, you wiggled your fingers to find that everything felt fine. Even bending your wrist caused no pain.  
"Oh... Oh man, that was fast! Thank you!" You gave the doctor a wide grin, only to notice he was now holing something that looked akin to a flashlight in one hand.  
"I'll need you to look straight ahead while I check your pupils." Just as a normal doctor on the surface would, Gaster examined your eyes, only to find one of them contracted a little less than the other. The small frown he had immediately told you something wasn't right, but if you had to guess, he was probably checking for that concussion you thought you had. You weren't really that worried, especially since you had already figured out as much.  
"That light kind of made my head hurt more."  
"I'm sorry about that. Do you remember the number set I told you?"  
"Oh, yes! It was, uh... Four, five, one, seven......nine? Right?" Gaster gave a sigh of relief. Things weren't as bad as he thought. If things went well, you wouldn't need someone checking in on you all hours of the day, for it seemed as if you still retained most of your common sense. All you'd need was a place to stay until your brain healed itself.  
"Yes, that was it. Listen, ______," he continued, taking a few steps towards the door. "You have a mild concussion. It's nothing too serious, but I'm going to ask Sans and Grillby how they found you, and then I will have to tie up a few loose ends. Can I trust you to stay here without me for a little while? Someone can bring you food if you require it, and perhaps some water as well, but I need to know if you are comfortable staying in this room." While you didn't want to be alone in an unfamiliar place, Gaster was asking very nicely. He seemed trustworthy enough, as did the other bunch of monsters you had met. Why not cooperate?  
"Sure, I can do that. Oh, and there was this frog I met in these purple ruins that helped me get here. He wanted me to thank you for helping his sister when she was sick, I think?" The doctor's face significantly brightened.  
"Ah, I remember them! Jackson and Guinevere were their names, I believe. I'll have to thank him for guiding you. In the meantime, please stay put until I return. Thank you." The doctor stepped out of the door, leaving you to your own devices. However, you couldn't help but wish someone else was there with you, whether it be Sans, Grillby, or even that secretary Elyssa. A normal conversation would have been nice to have, especially with everything you had just been through. Fortunately, once Gaster came back, you would be able to return to the surface, your friends, and your family. There, you could have all the normal conversations you could want, as well as telling the tale of your discovery that the monsters sealed inder the mountain were real. But until then, all you could do was wait.  
Oh, well...  
...That doctor was kind of cute, though.  
\--  
"Sans, please tell me you weren't skipping school and just so happened to have stumbled upon the human before any of your classmates." The tiny skeleton looked down, hoping his dad would have forgotten about school.  
"w-well...." Gaster sighed, bringing a hand to his face in disappointment.  
"Never mind. We will deal with that later. Grillby, do you know how they could have fallen down here? perhaps there's a hole that needs to be covered before anyone else hurts themselves." As usual, the living flame stayed silent, only providing a shrug in response. "...Of course." Gaster sighed once more, deciding to focus on the now rather than what had already happened. "Listen. The human's arm is fine, but they have a minor concussion and cannot be allowed to do anything that may aggravate their condition. They'll need somewhere to stay with someone who is responsible and can keep an eye on them." He gave the two monsters a hopeful look. "Any suggestions?"  
"ooh, ooh! they can stay with us! pap is gonna love them, and you're the most re...re...responsibible person i know! it's perfect!"  
"No, Sans. I already have you and your brother to look after, and what with working on the CORE, I can't afford another person to depend on my being there to watch them."  
"awwww, but daaaaaaad!" Grillby fizzled and crackled a bit.  
"I know the two are not alike, but the King and Queen already have their hands full as well! This human may be older than the one that's already down here, but who knows what trouble they could get into!" More crackling.  
"....Ok, perhaps your right, but I doubt the King would-" Crackle, crackle. Gaster was silent for a moment before finally rolling his eyes in defeat.  
"Fine, fine, I'll ask the two of them." Sans immedately jumped in excitement.  
"yaaay!!!" While his son celebrated, the doctor decided it would probably be wise to return to you with some food in hand after discussing the situation with the King. You may be docile now, but that was most likely due to the delirium the concussion had caused. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if you believed you could leave and go back to the surface. Who knows what wild fantasy you were caught in right now! Either way, once the King and Queen fully explained your situation...  
...things were not going to be pretty.


	7. Popato Chisps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get sick. Gaster takes care of you again.

Gaster hated troubling the King and Queen. He knew they were always busy with royal duties or having family time with their children, but somehow they were never bothered by his interruptions. He especially hadn't meant to bring serious matters into their afternoon tea session, but the King waved it off with a smile, as always. However, he did request for the human to come and talk with him. Gaster agreed, knowing the conversation was likely to help decide where you would be staying, and as he made his way to the elevator, his thoughts turned to your condition. It seemed you had grasped the existence of monsters just fine, what with your reaction to them being quite underwhelming, and that wasn't a problem. What did worry him was your state of mind. While you seemed to be fine at the moment he met you, Gaster knew that there could possibly be a few things wrong with your head. Concussions were tricky, and sometimes impeded one's memory, cognitive reasoning, and even affecting one's emotional state. Although you were a grown human and could(mostly) take care of yourself, the doctor couldn't help but worry for you. Injuries of the body could be healed, but injuries of the _mind_...  
            A grimace settled on Gaster's face. Perhaps he was the one not thinking straight. Leaving a concussed human alone in the LAB with a bunch of monsters they didn't know?? Come on, Gaster! And on top of that, you would have to talk to the King and Queen, and everybody knew their children were never far behind them. The smaller human sometimes creeped Gaster out, and they would no doubt give you the same eerie feeling. Good lord, this was one heck of a day.  
           A groan escaped the doctor's mouth as he tried to hurry back to the LAB as quickly as possible.  
  
            "I'm going to need a drink after this is over..."  
\--  
            You were bored. To remedy this, you had taken to documenting the recent events in the journal Mike had given you, but that had only staved off the boredom for a short while. Eventually the lights had begun to worsen your headache, resulting in you lying on the floor in the dark. The cool tile provided a bit of relief for the pain until it warmed up due to your body heat, and you let out a lonely sigh.  
  
            "I wish Tyler were here..." Truth be told, the whole thought process you had earlier about _'meeting someone better'_ was total bullshit. You had been crushing on Tyler for about three months now. He always cared for you and did his best to cheer you up when you were in one of your slumps, and no matter how many times that happened, he would always be there for you in some way, shape, or form. His dependability just drew you in, not to mention how kind he was to everyone in general. The sad truth was, he already had a girlfriend. She had gone away to college, but they were together regardless, and Skyped every night. At least, that's what Tyler said. You didn't even know her name because you didn't bother to listen when she was brought up.  
            Yes, it was true. You were envious. However, you weren't insensitive enough to disregard Tyler's feelings. He was happy with her, and as long as he was happy, you were content to stand on the sidelines and admire him from afar. With another sigh, you shut your eyes, your heart beginning to miss the rest of your friends along with Tyler.  
  
  
            And then your stomach lurched.  
  
            Your body shot upwards, and you threw your hands over your mouth to keep from puking all over the floor. Sitting up had only made it worse, and it took an immense amount of effort and will to swallow the bile back down. A shudder ran through your body, and your stomach settled for a moment before it began to feel strange again.  
  
  
            "O-Oh god..." The sudden movement you had made to sit up had aggravated your headache, but the feeling in your stomach refused to go away and only made you feel worse. You had to find a bathroom, stat.  
            With much effort, you stood on shaky legs and grabbed your backpack before reaching out for the door. Once you found the knob and twisted, you were forced to squint your eyes due to the sudden light, but it was only a moment before you were able to timidly venture out into the hallway. It was quite long, and you wondered if you'd ever be able to find your way out if Gaster never came back. However, that wouldn't be an issue. He seemed like a trustworthy monster, and you knew he wouldn't be so cruel to leave you there on your own forever. You'd just have to find the bathroom, throw up a bit, and then get back before he did so as not to worry him. That shouldn't be too hard.  
            You took a few steps down the hallway and peered through an open doorway, seeing some kind of bull monster peering into a microscope and jotting down notes.  
  
            "..Um... Excuse me...?" The monster turned, a surprised look appearing on their face once they saw who was in their doorway.  
  
            "Oh! You're the human Dr. Gaster brought in!" It was a girl. The white lab coat didn't make it clear when she had been facing the other way, but now you could sort of see her curves.  
  
            "Yes, um... D-Do you have a bathroom around here..?" A kind smile spread across the bull's face, and she approached you with an outstretched hand.  
  
            "Of course, dearie. Follow me." You hesitated to take the monster's hand, but with that smile, you felt it would be rude not to. Her hand was surprisingly soft for a scientist(don't they get calluses or whatever?), and she began to lead you down the hallway, back towards the direction you and Gaster had come from.  
            "You know, the only one who uses bathrooms around here is the King and Queen's second child. They visit the LAB sometimes, but not very often. It's nice to know that it'll be of some use with you around now." A few more feet, and the bull gestured to a door on the left. "Here you are! Do you need me to-"  
            You hadn't meant to interrupt her, but your stomach had chosen that moment to bubble dangerously. Before the bull could finish her sentence, you had already slammed the door open and rushed inside, promptly spilling your guts into the toilet bowl. The monster in the hallway paused, not knowing you had been sick the entire time, but you had already finished purging and gave her a tired smile.  
            "Thank you.... I actually feel a tiny bit better." The scientist's face paled somehow through her fur, and not a second later, she dashed down the hallway, yelling for Dr. Gaster. You decided staying put would actually be better than moving, so you flushed the toilet and settled against the wall, fetching the bottled water from your backpack. With a small sip, you shut your eyes, once again waiting for the doctor to come and help you.  
  
\--  
  
            "Thank you, River Person. I will likely see you sooner than usual today, as I may get off work earlier than expected if things go awry." The hooded figure gave a slow nod.  
  
            "Send the human my best wishes. Tra la la." With a nod of his own, Gaster strode down the path back to the LAB, a turkey sandwich and some chisps in his arms. He had asked Grillby to take Sans home and watch him and Papyrus before going to see the King, and thankfully his friend had agreed if Gaster would help with the bartender's own daughter. Once Asgore had requested your presence, the doctor had stopped by his own house to check in on his sons and Grillby, making a sandwich to take when he returned to you. Surely you'd be hungry when he found you again, and your body would need food to help your brain heal from the fall. That, and it was only polite. Luckily, he was able to open the entrance door with his magic so as not to drop the food, although he almost did just that when one of his colleagues came rushing towards him from the elevator, her face noticeably frightened.  
  
            " _Dr. Gaster!!_ "  
  
            "Emily? What's going o-"  
  
            "The human you brought in just threw up in the bathroom, and I think they're sick! What are we going to do?? _We don't have any medicine for humans!! We don't even know if their physiology would allow us to-"_  
  
            "Emily, calm down! Everything is alright! I've studied things of this nature. When a human gets a concussion, sometimes it may cause nausea and will even lead to what you've just witnessed. The human will be fine. They just need something to eat and a place to rest. The King and I are going to discuss with them where they'd like to stay, but before that, I must get this food to them. Now, you said they were in the bathroom?" The other scientist took in his words and tried to calm down, only nodding in response to his question. Gaster gave her a smile. "Thank you."  
  
            "Oh, uh, you're welcome.." But he was already stepping into the elevator. While he waited for it to take him to the correct floor, Gaster muttered to himself in frustration. He was already assigned to design the CORE, and that was hard enough while balancing family time with his kids, but now he'd have to stop his work today. And he was making _such_ good progress on his equations! Not that he didn't appreciate the chance to study a human, for he eventually would when you were feeling better. The Kind and Queen's child would never let him near them. You were his only chance to get a better understanding of SOUL power and the kinds of things it could do. He just hated when he was on a roll and was suddenly interrupted. Oh well. He could continue his work tomorrow.  
  
            **_Ding!_**  
  
            Gaster stepped into the hallway once again, the trip shorter now that you were in a room closer to the elevator. The door was still open, and he wasn't surprised to find you sitting on the ground, an almost empty bottle of water in your hands. While he entered, you gave him a wave, and he returned it with a friendly smile, choosing to sit down next to you.  
  
            "I heard you and your stomach had a little falling out." He set the plate he was balancing down in front of you. "Perhaps this might help a bit?" You couldn't believe your eyes. In actuality, the graham crackers in your backpack would have been fine, but this guy had the courtesy to bring you _actual food_.  
  
            "Oh my god." In an instant, you were devouring the sandwich. Since the little purging incident a few minutes earlier, you were now running on empty, as the s'mores you and your friends had made were now in an entirely different place that was not your body. After the first bite was swallowed, you beamed at Gaster, thoroughly grateful for what he had done.  
            "Thank you so much, doctor!"  
  
            "You're quite welcome. Nothing like a sandwich and some popato chisps to bring your health back up." You paused, a confused look creeping onto your face.  
  
            "...Do you mean potato chips?" Now Gaster was mirroring your expression.  
  
            "Potato chips? What on earth are those?" A moment passed in which you honestly thought the doctor was messing with you, but he never spoke up. Instead, you grabbed a chip out of the small bag that had come with the sandwich.  
  
            "This. This is a potato chip." A sudden look of wonder replaced Gaster's confusion. Here was a chance to learn a bit about human culture as well, and he was certainly going to take advantage of it.  
  
            " _Really_ now? Is that what they're called above ground? Why are they called that?" Yet again, you thought he was joking, but he just waited patiently for your answer.  
  
            "Uh... They're chips. They're made from potatoes. A kind of vegetable that grows under the soil instead of sprouting leaves above it. We boil them, cut them into slices, fry them with some type of oil, add salt, and there you go. Potato chips." Now recognition flashed in the skeleton's sockets.  
  
             "Ah, so these vegetables are similar to popatoes then!" Your eyes squinted in confusion again, and this time you had to put your food down to emphasize it.  
  
             _"...What the fuck is a popato??"_ A frown replaced Gaster's smile.  
  
            "______, language!" This was obviously going nowhere. With a resigned sigh, you dropped the subject and chugged the rest of your water.  
  
            "Sorry."  
  
            "It's fine. Just finish your food, we'll go talk to King Asgore, and prepare accommodations for-"  
  
            "Woah, hold up. The _King?_ The _King of monsters_ wants to talk to _me?"_  
  
            "Yes. He requested your presence, but I thought you'd like some food before we meet him." The sparkle in your eyes made it clear you were honored to meet royalty( _actual royalty!!),_ and Gaster didn't have the heart to say you had technically already done so. That is, if being Royal Scientist counted as royalty. It probably did.  
  
            _"Oh my god, ok!_ Absolutely! I'll just... uh....." You took another bite of the turkey sandwich, honestly trying to savor it instead of rushing and possibly overeating. You didn't want to seem too eager, but it was a little difficult knowing who you were going to meet after the sandwich was gone. Thinking about everything that happened somehow made it taste better(?), so you resolved to do just that, starting with the fall you had taken. This night had started out horribly, but you had also met a nice skeleton kid, a gentlemanly fire, and a strange scientist who all seemed to genuinely worry for you. Odd how complete strangers seemed to care more for you than your parents did. While they would surely hope you were alright, mom and dad likely wouldn't go so far as to give you decent food and have a slightly silly conversation with you. They'd probably just leave you in your room to sleep off this concussion, get a cast for your arm, and even make you get your own food if you were hungry. Oh man, that sounded mean. Your parents weren't _that_ bad, were they?  
            ...No. They weren't. You honestly didn't know what you were thinking, believing they would do such a thing. Your parents loved you, no matter how much disappointment they held towards you. After all, parents loved their children unconditionally, and what kind of family would you return to if they didn't, right?  
  
            Oh. Whoops.  
  
  
  
            The sandwich tasted less appealing now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Popato farming is actually a decent job in the Underground, considering how little sunlight there is to grow popatoes. The plants have adapted to growing with little light, but are a little hard to raise if you don't know what you're doing.


	8. One Glass of Grief, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet the King and Queen of monsters.

"Now don't try to walk faster than you can manage, alright?"  
  
            "Ok."  
  
            "And make sure you hold on to me. You still have a concussion, and I doubt you've fallen for the last time."  
  
            "Got it."  
  
            "Alright, we should be going now." Gaster stood up to help you to your feet before adding one more thing. "Oh, and if you need to take a break, we can-"  
  
            "Doc, I'll be fine! You're worrying too much!" This caused the skeleton to pause in embarassment.  
  
            "Oh... I apologize." Perhaps he was being a tad overbearing, but he wanted to make sure you didn't further injure yourself. After all, the worse you were hurt, the longer he would have to wait for you to heal before he'd be able to study you and your culture!  
            ...Wow, that sounded really insensitive. He really shouldn't think like that, but he couldn't help himself. After all, the little morsel of information you'd given him earlier had piqued his curiosity. Humans were just so interesting! Who knew they had a vegetable similar to one grown underground? And they made a similar snack out of them just as monsters did! Oh, he couldn't wait to hear more about the world above. However, he'd first have to escort you to the King and Queen for that important discussion, and he really shouldn't keep them waiting.  
            "That was really unprofessional of me." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Now come along, we should hurry and meet with King Asgore!" He pulled you up off the ground without giving you any time to react and slung his arm around you again to keep you steady. Just because you could speak coherently, doesn't mean you were stable enough to walk on your own. You had no problem with this.  
  
            "Ooh, that sounds like a cool name! Is Asgore really cool??" Gaster scoffed as he once again led you down the corridor to the elevator.  
  
            "As if. He is a total softie and would prefer to talk things over rather than hurt anyone. He is a kind King, and cares very much for every monster in the Underground." The doctor gained a thoughtful look after hitting the elevator button. "Although, I suppose he can be cool when he wants to. Undyne certainly thinks he is." This led to a conversation of who Undyne was and how she wanted to kick Asgore's butt, which you honestly found so adorable. Then the topic switched over to the way Undyne would try to play with Gaster's youngest son, Papyrus, by teaching him how to do various fighting moves she saw on some of the VHS tapes her mother had collected. The two of you continued talking, and you were so invested in the conversation that you didn't notice just how far the two of you had walked, through an extremely hot wasteland filled with nothing but lava of course, before you were climbing a small set of steps that lead to a clearing with a cozy looking house in the center. Gaster politely knocked and gave you a reassuring smile, probably thinking the silence you held was born from nervousness. In reality, you were trying your best not to grin like an idiot and gush over royalty the minute the door opened. When it did, all you could do was blink in awe at how utterly _tall_ the goat monster in front of you was. Like, holy shit. He even had maybe three inches on the doctor.  
  
            "Howdy, you two! I hope the walk here was not too long for you." Now that you took a better look at him, the king had a fatherly look to him. Kind eyes, warm smile, and just an overall air of generosity. He seemed like he would make a great father, and you hadn't even known him two minutes.  
  
            "Oh, uh-" You snapped out of your thoughts before you were pulled in too deep. "N-No, it was fine! Just got a bit dizzy here and there." Asgore's smile brightened a little.  
  
            "Ah, glad to hear it. Now then, would you like to come in?" He stepped aside, allowing you and Gaster to shuffle inside. To your surprise, it just looked like a normal home. Very warm and cozy. "My wife and I were just finishing some pie in the kitchen. Please, come have some!"  
  
            "Ooh, absolutely!" The two monsters smiled at your enthusiasm, and you took another glance around as Gaster helped you to the kitchen. Warm, lightly pastel colors accented the house here and there, only adding to its charm. A light smile graced your face, and it was reflected back at you once you had stepped into the kitchen, for another goat monster was seated at the small table inside. You assumed this was the Queen, as she was slightly smaller than Asgore, and the smaller horns coupled with the lack of facial hair gave her a feminine look.  
  
            "Greetings, human! Lovely to see you again, Dr. Gaster!" Her voice was soft and loving, reminding you of a mother. Something about it made your heart ache.  
  
            "It's always a pleasure, your majesty." Gaster slid a chair out for you, pushing you forward once you had sat down, and you couldn't help but widen your smile. This doctor was such a gentleman. "What sort of pie are we having today?"  
  
            "Butterscotch-Cinnamon," Asgor responded, taking a seat as he did. "Tori and I thought it best due to the company we'd be having today." Said pie was already placed on the table, a few slices cut out of it. The smell was just heavenly and made your mouth water, but a small gurgle in your stomach reminded you not to have too much. Thankfully, Gaster had caught on to your hungry stare and knew enough about the situation to know you could only handle so much pie.  
  
           "Would you mind cutting a very _small_ piece for ______? Due to their concussion, it appears their stomach has become a bit sensitive."  
  
            "Oh, of course. Tori, if you would?" The Queen flashed another smile before proceeding to cut you a slice. "Now then, let's have that talk. As you know, huma- er, ______, it's very difficult to travel with a concussion such as yours." Asgore sent a good natured wink towards the doctor. "At least, this is what Gaster has told us." A plate of pie was set in front of you. "In light of this, Toriel and I believe you should be staying with someone who knows how to take care of a human, grown or not. Sadly, as my wife and I already have two children, we cannot afford to have you stay here." You paused in eating your pie. Had they actually considered that?? Oh god, these monsters were too nice! Not even _you_ had thought to stay with the King and Queen!  
  
            "Oh, uh.... That's fine. I actually didn't think that was an option, so no worries." With one last forkful, you finished the pie. It really was quite a small piece, but you weren't about to complain. That pie was the best you've ever had.  
  
            "Yes, well.." Gaster seemed a bit apprehensive for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. "There was one suggestion I had received beforehand. Perhaps ______ could stay with my kids and I?" He cleared his throat for a moment, and that action alone let on that he felt ever so slightly awkward saying it aloud. "In their own room of course. Considering they can essentially take care of themself, I won't have to worry about them much, and Sans is a smart boy, so he could keep Papyrus busy should ______ need me for anything." As the doctor spoke, Agore and-what was her name? Toriel?- shared a knowing look. The Queen was the first to speak.  
  
            "I see. And might I ask where this suggestion came from?"  
  
            "Sans wanted me to ask you." A slightly surprised look appeared on the goats' faces before they both shared a laugh as well. You would have asked what was so funny, but Asgore had recovered before you were able to.  
  
            "That's surprising! And here I thought _you_ may have wanted that just to have access to a human for your research!" Gaster remained silent. You would have called him out on it, but felt that would be rude, especially if you were going to stay at his house. It didn't sound like a bad idea, and he was really nice anyway. Plus Sans was just adorable. A smile crossed your face as these things came to mind, and truthfully, you were getting kind of tired. A nice bed wouldn't hurt either, as you assumed Gaster would have a guest room.  
  
            "That sounds fine! I can play with Sans a bit too, so that shouldn't be a problem."  
  
            "Not before your brain has healed! You'll just have to lay down for a while."  
  
            "That's ok. I could stay a little longer afterwards, but then I'll have to head back home. Everyone will probably be worried, so I shouldn't make them wait too long. Is that cool?" Things went silent as all three monsters turned to look at you. The sudden attention made you a bit uncomfortable. Had you said something wrong?  
  
            "Human," Toriel began. "What do you mean by...home?" You simply blinked. Wasn't it obvious?  
  
           "Um, above the ground, of course. I have to go back to the surface. Back to my friends, my family. My home." For some reason, you felt a little apprehensive. This conversation wasn't very comfortable anymore.  
  
           "______... You know about the barrier, don't you?" From this close up, Gaster saw the small downwards twitch of your lips, but it was gone in a flash.  
  
            "Psh, _yeah._ Why wouldn't I?" Of course you did. The thing that was trapping monsters down here for all eternity, never to see the surface again. As far as you knew, it was completely impenetrable, but you had to go home. You couldn't stay down here forever. There was so much more left to finish in your life, after all.  
  
            "Then you understand that no one can leave the Underground." Asgore's worried gaze bore into you, making you nervous. Why did you need to hear something you already knew? "Monsters....and humans included." A moment of silence rolled by, making the tension in the room even worse.  
  
            "...But my parents are waiting for me." A smile made its way onto your face again, but the monsters could tell it was being forced. "Surely you understand. I mean, you have kids of your own, right? Wouldn't you want to know they were ok if you didn't know where they were?" This made the couple glance at each other again. "A-And," you continued, a slight wobble in your voice. "My friends. They don't know where I am. The last thing they expect to see in the morning is an empty space where I was supposed to be sleeping. I can't keep them worried." More silence followed suit, and you just stared at the King and Queen, wondering why it was so hard for them to understand what you were saying. You thought you were being pretty clear, and they seemed like smart monsters, so what was the problem?  
            Gaster laid a hand on your shoulder. Although it seemed like a comforting gesture to you, in actuality, he knew exactly what would come next soon. It took a bit for him to catch on, but he finally figured out why you were having such a hard time accepting things. You were going through the five stages of grief, denial being the first and obvious reaction. Next would come anger, and Gaster did not want you to hurt yourself, or anyone else for that matter. It would be better if he had his blue magic on standby in case you got violent, because of course you wouldn't _really_ mean to attack anyone. It would just be lashing out due to anger. Oh well. Here goes.  
  
            "______, you cannot return home." Toriel and Asgore were slightly shocked at the doctor's bluntness, but if it would help you realize the situation, then so be it. At the same time, you had whipped your head around to stare at Gaster in disbelief. For some reason, he seemed to think lying to you would help, but it really wasn't heping at all.  
  
            "What- That's not right. I have to go back and-"  
  
            " _No_ , you can't. The barrier is keeping you trapped here. Neither you nor I can do anything about it. You cannot leave the Underground. Ever. You are stuck here with us." The smile dropped from you face instantly.  
  
            "....You're lying."  
  
            "I am not." This time, you scrunched your eyebrows in anger and raised your voice.  
  
            _"Yes,_ you are. Now _stop it."_  
  
            "I'm not lying. You're just not accepting the truth." Without hesitation, you swatted his hand off your shoulder and leaped out of the chair.  
  
            **_"No I'm not!!_** _You're just being a jerk and playing with my feelings, which I **really** don't appreciate, doctor!!"_ No matter how loud you yelled, Gaster refused to raise his voice in response. The only thing he did was give you a sorrowful look.  
  
            "This is it, ______. You can't leave. We're all trapped here. I'm sorry." There was nothing you could say. He wouldn't give you anything to be mad about, but there was no where for your anger to go. A small part of yourself knew better than to take it out on the monsters who had done nothing but help you(at least, that's what you thought), so finally you stomped off into the living room. Ignoring the creeping dizziness from moving too quickly, you made straight for the front door, going so far as to slam it shut as loud as possible behind you.  
            Gaster sighed. While he was glad things hadn't escalated any further, there was still a chance you would take your anger out on something or someone else, and he'd rather it be himself than any other monster. At least he could defend himself, but only if using his blue magic to keep you grounded didn't work. Either way, he had to rectify the situation, and fast.  
            With an apologetic look towards the King and Queen, the doctor stood from the table.  
  
            "Excuse me." After pushing in his chair, Gaster promplty rushed off to try and catch you before the third phase of grief kicked in, leaving the two goat monsters at the table, utterly confused and very concerned.  
  
  
  
            Yet again, they both shared a look, hoping the Royal Scientist knew what he was doing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Gaster's a dad. He knows what he's doing.


	9. Goin' to Meet the Cuties!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster tries to console you and convinces you to come home with him.

Gaster was greatly confused when he opened the King and Queen's front door, only to find you were nowhere in sight. Surely the dizziness from your concussion would keep you from traveling much, so how had you already gotten so far away?? The doctor was beginning to contemplate running after you when a small pebble hit the side of his head, interrupting his thought process. He glanced to his right, and his confused eyes met with a pair of angry ones. You were sitting off to the side of the door, knees up and an arm wrapped around them.  
            With a hateful glare, you threw another pebble at him, landing it square between his eyes. He only blinked owlishly at you, thoroughly confused at this point.  
  
            "...What are you doing?"  
  
            "I don't like you." Another pebble, striking the doctor's forehead.  
  
            "You know that doesn't hurt at all, right?" Your glare worsened, and you threw yet another pebble. To both you and Gaster's surprise, it flew lower than expected and landed right in his eye socket. The doctor looked _very_ shocked, and began coughing a bit before spitting something out onto his hand. It was the pebble.  
            Although you found this very comedic, you didn't want to ruin your angry front by laughing, so you opted for resting your head in your arms instead. Gaster peered curiously at the pebble before dropping it and returning his attention to you.  
  
            "....Are you alright?"  
  
            "Leave me alone." The doctor sighed, opting to sit down a little ways away from you. Silence rolled in, mixing with tension to make an uncomfortable moment. You snuck a peek at the skeleton and damn, somehow he still managed to look at regal and important. Just what kind of doctor was this guy??  
  
           "I'm sorry you can't go home." The sudden voice surprised you, but you held your angry attitude, thoroughly convince Gaster might be trying to trick you. "I can't imagine what it's like to be separated from everything you knew. However," The doctor really wished this would work. "I've been working on something. Sans may have told you I was working on an invention called the CORE, right?"  
  
            "...Yeah." Curious to see where this was going, you settled your gaze on Gaster, still holding a bit of a glare.  
  
            "Well, I have another invention that's almost finished. It hasn't got a name yet, but I've been trying to harvest SOUL power into a concentrated source that can blast through the barrier. If it works, I may be able to get you home. If it doesn't..." Gaster fell silent, not really wanting to continue, especially with that look on your face. It took a moment before you decided to speak.  
  
             "....You're really trying, aren't you?" It wasn't surprising to see a look of pity cross the doctor's face.  
  
            "I only want to help you, ______." And maybe he also wanted to study you a bit, but now really wasn't the time, as it would be very, _very_ insensitive to mention it. As much as his inner scientist was begging him to get more info on human culture, the dad in him said to make sure you were alright and emotionally stable before he tried anything. He'd just have to wait.  
            You sighed, letting your head lean back against the side of the house. Maybe Gaster wasn't lying. After all, he had done nothing but help you, and so had everyone else. All the monsters were so nice down here, much better than your parents were nowadays.  
           A twinge of sadness stabbed your heart. Surely they loved you, but it was a bit difficult to see past their disappointed demeanor. They didn't even call anymore, and when they picked up your own calls, they always answered your questions with only one or two words. It was like they didn't really want to talk to you, and they certainly wouldn't have done anything if you were angry about something, whereas Gaster had come to apologize, even going so far as to try and give you hope of returning home one day. You did miss your comfy bed in the shared space with Michael, as well as your other friends, but....did you miss home? It _felt_ like you did, so surely you did, right? God, feelings were too confusing right now. You just wanted to sleep, and the only place you could do that seemed to be Gaster's house since you had already agreed to stay with him. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go with the first person to heal you, but it was too late now. In fact, now you were just feeling down.  
  
            "..I'm....sorry too, I guess." No use to have _both_ of you sad, right? "I just..... I want to go home..." You left the _'I think'_ out of the sentence. "I thought it was you who lied to me, but....it was really that stupid star." Gaster perked up at the mention of stars. Sans had always been curious about them, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see the real ones either. That cavern with the sparkling rocks could only suffice for so long.  
  
            "A star? A _real_ star?" You made a noise of confirmation.  
  
            "I wished on one before I fell. Stars are supposed to grant wishes, so I wished for a better future. One where I could finally _stay_ happy instead of fighting off sadness all the time." Your voice took on a bitter tone. "But it just landed me here instead. Now I'll never get to see my family or friends again." You could feel your eyes start to water, but you held the tears back. There was no way you'd let a stranger see you cry. _"That star is the one who lied."_ Although you concealed the tears, Gaster had clearly heard the hurt tone of voice you held. "I always thought stars were supposed to help, you know? I used to love the sight of them. They always made me feel so _peaceful."_ You cut yourself off, not wanting to feed the growing urge to cry through speech. Meanwhile, Gaster had gotten an idea from your last sentence, but he had to be sure of something first.  
  
            "...Do you hate _all_ of the stars now?" You took a deep breath, letting it go in a long sigh.  
  
            "...No.... I guess I just hate that one... The others never did anything bad, so why should I hate them all just because of one bad star?" Well then. Gaster knew what he'd do later on. However, it looked as if you needed some time to think, and there was no better place than a room with a comfy bed to sit on. It was also probably best for you to lie down a bit and get some rest. The only thing was, how would he convince you it was time to go?  
            Ah, wait a minute. There was perhaps one thing that could cheer you up, and it would also require you to go back home with him as well. It was perfect, seeing as it always cheered him up when he was feeling down.  
  
            "Well, it's obvious you're not feeling the best right now." You gave him a disdainful look, only to be met with a slightly excited smile. "But I know something that could help."  
  
            "....Ok, sure. Why not. I don't even know what it is, but it's better than sitting here and moping.."  
  
            "Alright, then!" Gaster hopped up and extended an arm towards you, the same smile still on his face. "Come with me, please." Although you looked sadder than a wet blanket, you took his hand and let him help you up again, an arm going around your shoulders to stabilize you the same as that time in the LAB.  
  
            "Where are we going?"  
  
            "My house, of course. It was already agreed upon that you would stay with me, but I hope you don't mind two little baby bones running around every now and then." All you did was shrug. What difference would it make? Either way, you weren't getting back home.  
  
            There would be no point in doing _anything_ anymore, so why even bother?  
  
\--  
  
            The walk to the River Person was filled with more silence, the two of you currently exiting into Hotland from the LAB. While you were consumed in your thoughts, Gaster took note of the incredibly heartbroken expression you held. At first it only slightly bothered him, but the more he glanced at your face, the more you reminded him of Sans when he came crying about the school bullies picking on him again. It bothered him to no end that children could be so cruel to each other, especially with the words they told his son. It took constant reassurance to convince Sans not to listen to them, and he had even talked to the children's parents, but it looked like the kids didn't care what punishment they got. It was odd because their parents were all quite lovely and polite, so why was it that their kids must pick on his son??  
            Gaster huffed in slight anger, too caught up in his thoughts to notice the curious gaze you were giving him. He seemed to be thinking about something awfully hard, and whatever it was must not have been good if the look on his face was anything to go by. You weren't sure what it was or how serious it was, but you knew the topic probably wouldn't be the best to ask about. Besides, you were already tired of negative feelings. You wanted something more lighthearted to talk about, something that wouldn't bring you down more than you already were.  
  
            ".....So, tell me about your kids." Gaster was surprised at the sudden request, but he obliged anyway.  
  
            "Oh. Well, Sans is my oldest, and as you could see, he's a little energetic. Though, he only seems to get this way when he's _extremely_ excited. Most of the time, he's a very laid back child, and even volunteers to watch Papyrus sometimes while I'm out. Of course, I can't let him do that alone, so there's always a babysitter, but he gets along with them anyway, even if he is a little disappointed." By now, a smile had spread across the doctor's face. For some reason, he also gained a confused look in his eyes _(Eye sockets? Eye lights? How did he do that??)._ "Although, I'm not sure how he gets into certain places he does. I think I've said that already, but it's really quite confusing. Maybe his magic is coming in earlier than expected? I'll have to look into that." You vaguely remembered the sickening feeling when Sans had brought you to Grillby's, immediately figuring out what happened now that your head was a tad bit clearer. The doctor's son was able to teleport, and _holy shit_ , he must have done it a _lot_ if he could just get up and go after teleporting somewhere. You didn't care to experience the effect again, but you were also curious as to why Sans hadn't told his dad yet. Was he embarrassed? If so, why? That was a cool power, and from the sound of it, one that Gaster didn't have. You weren't sure why he would hide it, but he wouldn't be able to do it forever. It might be a little mean, but you knew if things got out of hand with it, Gaster would be better off knowing what his son could do.  
  
            "Doc, I think I know how he does it." The skeleton turned to you, curious as to how you were so sure. "Your kid can teleport." He stopped walking. By extension, you had ceased as well, not wanting to risk falling again.  
  
            "...He can... He can what?" The doctor held an incredulous expression, making you wonder why he wasn't mad. After all, Sans had hidden something probably quite important from his dad. Maybe Gaster had his reasons? Or something. You weren't sure.  
  
            "Yeah, uh... He found me fallen in the snow right after the ruins and when I grabbed his hand, everything kind of shifted and wobbled. Not really sure how to describe it, but then we were outside Grillby's." You lowered your voice, slightly embarrassed at this next part. "Nearly threw up, but it was pretty damn cool." Gaster's mouth twisted in a small frown. Great, now you had probably gotten the kid in trouble.  
  
            "______, language." Oh. Well, it was probably good you had taken the attention of Sans. You also noticed the river coming up, and you were actually feeling a little tired. Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt, since you were sure Gaster wouldn't let you just fall off the side of the boat.  
  
            "Hey doc, would it be ok if I slept a little on the boat? I'm getting pretty tired." Not to mention, you just didn't want to think about the barrier and your old home right now. Sleep would keep the thoughts away.  
  
            "Of course. I'll wake you up when we arrive." Now the two of you approached the river, the strange hooded figure turning to face you.  
  
            "Tra la la. Care for a ride?" Gaster gave them a smile.  
  
            "Yes. To Snowdin, please."  
  
\--  
  
            Someone was lightly shaking you. For some reason, it was really cold, and the movement only made things worse. You groaned in annoyance, keeping your eyes screwed shut.  
  
            "Mike, stop.. Just five more minutes..."  
  
            "Now ______, it's time to wake up." Wait, that wasn't the bug maniac you knew. Your eyes snapped open, and you met Gaster's gaze. But why was he so close...?  
            Gaster suddenly moved, and you realized that he had been carrying you when your feet touched the ground. You tried not to be bothered by that, but it was too weird for you to ignore.  
  
            "Uh, why were you carrying me?" The doctor awkwardly cleared his throat, deciding it best to avoid your eyes.  
  
            "W-Well, the boat ride was a little shorter than expected, and you looked very peaceful while you were sleeping. I thought maybe you'd like to sleep some more, so I just let you sleep and carried you the rest of the way home.." He went quiet at the end, realizing just how weird it was to just carry a sleeping stranger up to his front porch. What the hell had he been thinking? The doctor looked back at you in order to apologize, but stopped short when he noticed you gawking at him. It was slightly uncomfortable. "What? Is there something on my face?"  
  
            "....You blush in purple...." The soft whisper of this sentence only made him blush harder as he became even more embarrassed. He was supposed to be a professional for godsake! He couldn't be blushing this hard in public!!  
  
            "Alright, we're going inside." He quickly pushed the door open, ignoring your growing smile, and dragged you in by the hand. It felt a little odd for you; his hand definitely felt made of bone, but it wasn't as rough as you expected it to be. Gaster let go immediately, shutting the door behind him and turning to face the interior of the room. Suddenly, he heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall, seeming to slouch a little. When he stood back up, he was definitely not squaring his shoulders back like he had been the entire time, and his eyes somehow looked a little less sharp (seriously, how the hell did eye sockets do that). He removed his white lab coat and hung it on a coat rack, revealing the nice little grey turtle neck he had been wearing, and gave you a tired smile, noting the _very_ confused expression you held.  
            "Now ______, you should know. My position at the LAB requires me to be professional at all times, and I have to maintain a certain image outside of home. That being said, I don't have to act that way inside my own house. We can just relax tonight after everything that's happened. Would you care for a drink?" You stared back in shock, realizing what he meant. This guy had to stand straight and _act_ all regal while outside, but to only relax when he got home? How the hell did he keep that up?? It had to be exhausting!  
            Before you could even think about answering his question, a small voice rang out through the room.  
  
            "dad, you're home!!" Sans was running to the two of you as fast as his little legs could go. This, coupled with the knowledge of how lazy his son could be, made Gaster's smile change from tired to loving.  
  
            "Indeed, I am." He knelt down with open arms, and the small skeleton ran directly into them. The two shared a very warm looking hug, and Gaster let out a small sigh. **[My precious son...]**  
  
             _What the fuck was **that?**_  
  
           That sounded like a whole different language! Did this guy know, like, Dutch or something?? Although, that didn't sound like any language you had ever heard. That sounded waaay different than the one's on the surface. Maybe it was some kind of monster language? You weren't quite sure, and you would have spoken up, but you didn't want to ruin the moment. It didn't matter though, for a few snaps and crackles echoed through the room, and Grillby stepped in to greet the two of you. Gaster smiled and hoisted Sans up, deciding to hold him in his arms now.  
  
            "Thank you, Grillby. I can take it from here." The fire nodded and saw himself out, but not before giving you a passing wave. You waved back, seeing as he was a nice guy, and shut the door behind him. When you turned back, Sans was gazing at you with the brightest smile ever.  
  
            "human, you're ok!! dad took good care of you, right? i told you he would because my dad is the _best_ doctor out there!" Gaster raised a brow (but he didn't have any eyebrows??) and shook his head at his son.  
  
            "Now Sans, stop bragging. Just be glad I knew enough to help them, alright? You know I'm not a human doctor." Sans pouted a little, hanging his head.  
  
            "sorry, dad."  
  
            "Now let's go introduce your brother." The small skeleton immediately perked right back up, sparkles practically shining in his nonexistent eyes. You could only think back to how awesome Sans had told you his brother was and how Gaster described him as 'too cute'. Now you were a little excited to meet the kid yourself, and you smiled at the two as if to say 'I'm ready'. Gaster began leading you through the living room and up the stairs, a hallway appearing on the right. However, the doctor opened the door directly ahead instead of leading you down the hallway, and you noticed the room was designed simply. The wall was a sort of cream color, different from the odd maroon-ish color the rest of the house's walls were. There was a small picture of an upside down heart against an orange background hanging on the wall, and a small little crib in the corner. Gaster gave you an apologetic smile as he set down Sans, who immediately rushed to the side of the crib.  
  
            "I apologize. I'm still working on decorating." You just shrugged. "Now, I know things haven't been the best for you today, but I have someone here who can help you." The doctor's smile grew, and he turned and reached inside the crib. Next thing you knew, there was an even smaller skeleton in his hands, wearing an orange onesie and giving you the most excited smile out of everyone in the room. "This is my youngest son, Papyrus. Say hi, Paps!"  
  
            "Abbllah!!" The baby skeleton only spoke gibberish, but he waved his arms towards you in such a way that made him look like he was trying to hug you. Gaster cocked his skull, leaning a nonexistent ear down towards his son.  
  
            "Hm? What's that?"  
  
            "Blphhneh!!" Papyrus babbled some more, holding his arms up in the air and giving you the happiest face imaginable. Gaster chuckled and couldn't help but smile, not noticing the blush that creeped onto his face.  
  
            "He says 'Don't worry, human! The Great Papyrus will make you feel better!'" _Oh my god._  
            You put both hands to your mouth, trying to blink back the tears forming in your eyes. This kid was too cute and adorable, you weren't sure you could handle it. Sans and Gaster were beaming at your reaction, knowing Papyrus' cuteness was too great for you to be sad.  
  
            "..Can-" You held out your arms, a grin forming on your face. "..Can I hold him?" With an approving nod, Gaster held out the adorable baby, and you hooked your hands under him and brought him close. Without missing a beat, the little skeleton snuggled right into your chest, a content smile on his cute little face.  
  
            "good job! my baby bro really likes you!" You stared down at the child, thinking back to your previous thoughts on staying in this home. Gaster proved again that he was really nice and caring, Sans was just so excited to have you over here, and little Papyrus just took to you right away! Good lord, this family was too cute. They were too precious. Maybe...  
  
  
  
            ...Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to stay here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wing Dings text inspired by That Would Be Enough. It's here on AO3, so if you like this story, you should look it up.


	10. Everyone Has Their Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster slips up.

            Baby Papyrus stared up at you, still smiling. You couldn't help but return the smile yet again, trying to keep the tears in from the overwhelming cuteness.  
  
            "He really is adorable..." You slowly handed the small child back to Gaster, not wanting to drop him, and took the chance to wipe your eyes. This kid wasn't going to make you cry. Nope, not at all.  
  
            "Isn't he? When I first found these two, he was so quiet, but then he started opening up after some food and a little TLC-" The doctor stopped, realizing what he had just said and somehow grew paler than he already was. Sans' smile dropped, as well as Gaster's, and the two were now staring at you in fear of your reaction. Papyrus simply babbled, completely oblivious to the whole situation.  
            When he.... _found_ them? That could only mean Sans and Papyrus weren't Gaster's real kids, that they weren't related at all. So what had happened to their _real_ parents? Surely they were looking for their children? Of course, that would also depend on how long these two had been with Gaster, and where exactly they lived beforehand. But...it seemed like Sans really liked living with this guy. He already called him dad. Did that mean his real parents didn't want-  
  
            _"W-WELL, UH- How about we, um-"_ Gaster's thoughts raced, looking for a suitable distraction, when he remembered what he had told you at the front door. "How about we get some hot cocoa?? That sounds lovely, I bet!" The doctor quickly made his way out of the room to avoid any questions about his little slip up, and you and Sans quietly followed behind him, the small skeleton giving you a nervous smile. You returned it, hopefully making it clear that you understood this was a touchy subject and that you wouldn't ask about it. In all honesty, the direction your thoughts had been going only worsened the pain in your heart when you thought about it, and you'd rather avoid it as much as possible. The less attention you gave it, the less it would hurt, right?  
            "I'm sorry, I don't know what I thought I was doing-" Gaster rushed back to the two of you, quickly but gently settling Papyrus in your arms again. "Please hold him while I get our drinks ready." And then he rushed off again. On his way back down the stairs, you heard him mumble something to himself, but couldn't understand it. **[Good god, what was I thinking?? I can't just say things like that to a stranger...]**

           You'd definitely ask about that later. For now, you were content with holding little Papyrus in your arms as he once again snuggled into your chest and made grabby motions towards Sans when he saw his brother. The older skeleton gave his little brother one of his hands, which he immediately latched onto and began hugging.  
  
            "Awww..." The doctor was right, this kid was too cute. Unfortunately, you began to feel a little strange at the moment. It seemed both you and Gaster had forgotten about the concussion, and before you could succumb to the creeping dizziness, you handed Papyrus off to Sans, who gave you a surprised look when you stumbled and nearly fell down the rest of the stairs.  
  
            "are you alright??" You tightly gripped the railing, willing the dizzy sensation to go away. Thankfully, it began to fade, and you have Sans a small nod.  
  
            "I just hit my head really hard earlier. It'll happen sometimes. Your dad said I just need to rest and take it easy." Sans' little eye lights brightened in recognition.  
  
            "oohhhhhh, ok! then paps and I will make sure you're extra comfy, alright?" You couldn't help but smile at the skeleton's enthusiasm, another nagging thought tugging at the back of your mind as the two of you headed towards the kitchen. Your parents wouldn't have taken a promise such as Sans' seriously, probably even being a bit annoyed when you would try to help them with anything. Why was that, though?  
  
            "______, would you prefer water or milk?" Gaster shouted from the kitchen counter, trying to decide which to boil.  
  
            "Milk, please." You weren't going to say if you were lactose intolerant or not _(did it really matter compared to a concussion?)_ , but you did know hot chocolate tasted better with milk rather than water. While sounds of hot-cocoa-making drifted from the kitchen, you settled on the couch and rested your head back, tossing Sans a smile when he sat next to you. Papyrus made grabby motions towards you now, but before Sans could pass him over, you took the small skeleton and settled him in between the two of you. When he realized what you did, making it to where he could hug and babble at _both_ of you instead of just one, Papyrus cooed in happiness and flailed his arms in joy. Sans' smile widened.  
  
            "you like this, bro? now you can hug both of us!" Immediately, the baby hugged his brother, still babbling in baby talk.  
  
            "Abblhooo..." He then switched from his brother, now hugging your leg and looking at you with stars in his eyes. For a brief moment, you wondered if you were ever this cute to your parents, but before you could entertain that train of thought, a call came from the kitchen.  
  
            "Cocoa's almost ready~!" There was a sing-song tone in the doctor's voice that made you curious to see just how good this cocoa would really be, and it made you smile as you and Sans, carrying his brother, strode into the kitchen and sat down. Sans had a bit of trouble putting Papyrus into his high chair, but he managed to get him in there safely just before Gaster sat a piping hot mug in front of you. His eldest son was next, followed by a mug for Gaster himself, along with a bottle of baby formula for Papyrus. When the doctor set the bottle down in front of him, the small skeleton immediately grabbed it and started drinking. Not too fast, but you could tell he had been hungry by the way he never sat it down until half of it was gone. You giggled at the sight, decided it was time to have your own drink, and raised the mug to your lips.  
  
            _"Ah!"_ You don't know what you expected. The freshly made cup of cocoa burned your tongue, and you immediately set the mug down.  
  
            "Too hot?" Gaster gave you an apologetic smile as he sipped his cocoa, seemingly not affected by the temperature. How did he even drink that though? He didn't have a tongue, or any taste buds, or even a stomach, so how- "I apologize. I should have warned you."  
  
            "Oh, uh.. No, it's ok." You took to blowing on it for a bit before deciding it had cooled enough. When you were finally able to take a sip, you were honesty surprised at how much _better_  it tasted than any other cocoa you'd had. The warm liquid settled in your stomach, and as it did, a wave of warmth and energy seemed to flow through you, clearing the slight foggiest of your head in an instant. There was probably a look of surprise on your face, for Sans gave you his own questioning look.  
  
            "what's wrong? it's not good?" Before you could reply, Gaster intervened.  
  
            "No Sans, the human just hasn't had any monster food before." As his son nodded in understanding, the doctor looked to you to give another explanation. "Monsters are made from magic, you see, so in order to heal from any injuries, we create food imbued with magical qualities. All of it heals one's injuries, but some may make the user faster or slower, or any number of different effects." He took another sip. "This one helps monsters relax."  
  
            "...Because of magic?"  
  
            "No." Another sip. "Because it's warm and delicious." He chuckled at the unamused look you gave him, Sans laughing right alongside him, and even Papyrus joined in, though he probably didn't understand what was going on. Another look at the adorable family made you think back to that comment from earlier. _When I first found them._ There were many things that sentence could mean, not _just_ that the kids were abandoned by their true parents. Maybe there was an orphanage or something down here and Gaster just.....found them. Either way, something about the phrase didn't sit right with you, but instead of prying, you wanted to respect the family's privacy. After all, you had only just met today, and you should probably make it clear you wouldn't pry, rather than hinting towards it like you had earlier. With a gulp of cocoa, you set the mug down and settled a serious gaze on the family.  
  
            "So, about earlier. The whole finding your kids thing." Another wave of dread washed over you when Gaster visibly tensed, Sans' smile once again dropping. Poor Papyrus, he just looked confused why everyone was suddenly so unhappy. "Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. I won't ask about it. Not 'til you're ready to share, at least." Another sip. "It's none of my business, and I can tell it's a touchy subject, so I'll respect your space, ok? You don't have to worry about it." Sans and his father shared a look of surprise before Gaster shrugged and downed the rest of his cocoa, setting the cup down with a sigh of relief.  
  
            "...Thank you, ______." He gave you a warm smile. "That means a lot coming from a human." You were caught by surprise at the odd choice of words, but returned the smile anyway. "Now, while you respect my family's privacy, I'd also like to respect yours considering you'll be staying with us indefinitely. Are there any subjects you would like us to avoid?" Damn, this guy was super polite. This whole family in general was just really, really nice, and it made your heart ache once again for your own family. Speaking of...  
  
            "My parents. And...family workings altogether. That area is a minefield that I don't know how to navigate." The doctor frowned for a second, likely wondering why you had said that subject specifically, but he nodded in understanding anyway.  
  
            "Very well then. Your secrets are yours, and ours are ours." You finished your cocoa, setting it down in time to see Sans gulping down the last of his as well. "On the subject of secrets, is there anything you'd like to tell me, Sans?" The boy froze mid-gulp, the lights of his eyes going out for a split second.  
  
            "...no, not really. why do you ask?" Gaster took your mug, proceeding to rinse them in the sink.  
  
            "Oh, no reason. I just thought it was imperative for me to know of my son's ability to teleport." Once again, Sans froze, and he somehow had little beads of sweat running _(what??)_ down the side of his skull.  
  
            "H-how... Wha..?" Gaster fixed a hard stare on his son, crossing his arms to get his point across.  
  
            "Yes, our guest here told me of the way you teleported them into Snowdin with both a broken arm and a concussion, likely risking their health with the possibility of hurting them even more than they already were." The doctor's eye sockets narrowed. **[I thought you knew better.]** There it was again! What the hell was this guy speaking?? Apparently it made things even more serious due to the way Sans cringed and shrunk down in his seat, trying to make himself smaller than he already was. You wracked your brain, trying to figure out what language Gaster could possibly be speaking, but you were having a hard time. His kids were named after fonts, right? So maybe his name was linked to it? But he didn't have a font as his name, so what-  
  
            "...i, uh....got excited?" That set Gaster off like a bomb.  
  
            **[ _That's no excuse, Sans! I thought I raised you better than that! You know injured monsters and humans are fragile and can't be put in a spot where they may get hurt even more, let alone teleport-]_  **He continued reprimanding his son, rambling in that language you didn't understand, but from the way Sans was still shrinking, you could tell it wasn't good. At the end of his rant, Gaster switched back to English. "Honestly Sans, I thought you'd at least tell me you could do something like this! I had to scold you first instead of being proud, just so you could learn your lesson!" Sans perked up in surprise, picking up on what his dad had just said.  
  
            "wait, you're _proud of me?_ why??" Gaster sighed, running a hand down his face.  
  
            "I'm disappointed you could have hurt our guest, but yes. I'm proud. Why wouldn't I be?" A smile appeared on his face again. "My son can _teleport!_ How amazing is that?? It's no wonder you're so good at hide-and-seek!" Without missing a beat, Sans suddenly blinked out of existence and into his father's arms, where the two shared a tight hug. _"See?_ Your magic is developing faster than I thought! How can I _not_ be proud of you??" The two shared a few laughs, effectively diffusing the tense situation while you and Papyrus just watched in amusement.  
  
            "sorry for hiding it, dad. i just really liked the freedom of nobody knowing how i got to the places i did. i really was gonna tell you...." He paused. "....eventually." Gaster gave him a look that said 'oh really now' and set him down on the ground, snatching his son's mug off the table.  
  
            "That's fine and all, but you're still in trouble for putting our guest in danger. No playing with Alphys for a week."  
  
            _**"what??** nonono, don't say that!!" _ Sans tried to reason with his dad to drop the punishment, but Gaster seemed set in his decision. You could only continue watching and waiting for the two to finish talking, a small frown forming on your face. The family dynamic here was very kind and playful, and there were good feelings all around. However, there was still that little inkling in the back of your mind, and no matter how much you tried to ignore it, the feeling kept coming back to dampen your mood. There was no way you'd say it out loud, for it would surely ruin Sans and Gaster's mood as well, but you couldn't help thinking back on it. Eventually, you settled for picking up Papyrus again to let him cuddle you some more, that one bad thought echoing in your head all the while.  
  
  
  
            _...Your_ parents would never be so accepting of a secret like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want more cute Papyrus? Well, guess what! For only $3.99, you could have an entire two chapters worth of cuteness! Buy now and get an additional chapter for FREE! Limited time only, folks! Come on down and get your cute Papyrus!


	11. Pancakes, Sweaters and Wing Dings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster takes you to work with him.

            "Alright, ______. You can take my bed, and I'll take the couch.

 

            "Absolutely not. That's _your_ bed." You lightly patted the spot next to you on the couch. "I'll be fine down here." Things had wound down after Sans begrudgingly accepted his punishment and was sent to bed with his brother after a snack. Gaster took care of the dishes, chatting with you about how social Papyrus was and how he would start reading the kid to sleep once he got a bit older, successfully cheering you up a little with the cuteness. You were still slightly down in the dumps, but now it was bearable, and you had taken to relaxing on the couch while Gaster cleaned up. When he was done, the subject of sleeping accommodations came up, and you were currently arguing with your host, trying to convince him you'd be perfectly fine on the couch, concussion or not.

 

            "No, I'd prefer you on an actual bed with less risk of rolling off the side and injuring yourself further."

 

            "...It's not even two feet high, doc. I'm not gonna-"

 

            "This is not up for discussion, ______. You can go upstairs willingly, or I can take it upon myself to drag you up there." The doctor crossed his arms, giving you a stern look. Was he going 'parent mode' on you??

 

            ".....Fine." You huffed in defeat, not feeling right about taking someone else's bed, but not liking the way Gaster was parenting you. It was strange enough that he'd be taking care of you, but you were legally an adult now by society's standards!

            Gaster smiled and offered a hand to you, which you begrudgingly took, reminding him of the way Sans was sulking not even fifteen minutes ago. He began helping you upstairs, making sure you didn't trip, and led you to the middle door in the hallway. The room had the same color walls as the rest of the house, and while everything looked clean and in order, the desk on the left side was messy and covered with papers. It made sense, considering Gaster was a doctor of some kind, who was still very gentlemanly when he helped you down to the bed.

 

            "I'll find some clothes for you to wear tomorrow morning, but you just get some rest. If you need anything, feel free to call me, alright?" You nodded in confirmation, snuggling under the covers once the skeleton closed the door. It was quite comfy, and you hadn't realized how tired you were until your head was laid upon a pillow. You weren't out instantaneously, but it only took a handful of seconds before you were already drifting off, dreams filled with stars and strange voices speaking in tongues. It was very odd, but not really in a bad way.

 

            Needless to say, you slept incredibly well.

\--

            "Rise and shine, ______! Breakfast is ready!" Thankfully nobody tugged the sheets off of you, but you still groaned at the cheery voice calling from the door. Cracking open your eyes, you sat up on one elbow and brushed the hair out of your face, Gaster greeting you with a smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Be careful coming down the stairs, okay?" The doctor left you to tend to his kids, all the while keeping an ear out for any loud thumps in case you fell.

 

            "Mmhm..." Sleep still clouded your head, but it was easier to wake up than it usually was. You threw the blankets off, grateful you still left your socks on from last night in case you got cold, and began trudging down stairs, making sure to keep a good grip on the railing. A lovely smell was wafting from the kitchen, and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't making your stomach growl. It smelled like pancakes or something, and you couldn't remember the last time someone had made those for breakfast.

 

            "Ah, good morning! I see you made it down safely." Gaster greeted you from the table, setting down a plate of pancakes(you had totally called it) with some orange juice next to it. "Come and eat. It should wake you up a little."

 

              "Mh.." You mumbled a good morning, tossing a smile to Sans and Pap before picking up a fork and digging in. The pancakes were delicious, just as you expected them to be, and a wave of energy passed through you, successfully waking you up. "Oh my god, this is so good." Gaster sat down with his own plate, a cheeky grin on his face.

 

            "I knew you'd love them. It's a family recipe passed down from my great great grandmother, Helvetica." You slammed your fork down, unintentionally startling Papyrus.

 

            "So font names _are_ a thing! _I knew it!!"_ Gaster gave you a funny look, taking a bite of his breakfast before it got cold.

 

            "Well, of course." Swallow. "It's tradition for skeletons in the Underground to be named after fonts." Another bite.

 

            "Then why aren't _you_ named after one?" Chew, chew, swallow.

 

            "I am, but that's not important right now." Sans' smile grew slightly. He had caught on to where this was going.

 

            "Oh, but it's only polite for a guest to know the name of their host, isn't it?" Gaster stiffened, and across the table, Papyrus began giggling as if he knew what was happening.

 

            "That- You-" Now it was Sans' turn to start giggling, his half-eaten pancakes now forgotten.

 

            "Come on, doc! Just tell me your name! Is that why it starts with W.D? Do those initials stand for something?" Gaster opened his mouth to speak, but his son beat him to it, grinning wide as a madman.

 

            "it stands for-"

 

            "I am fully capable of extending your punishment if I have to, Sans." The boy's smile fell a little at the cold glare his father was giving him, but he simply leaned back in his chair before speaking again.

            "they're gonna find out at some point, ya know." The doctor sighed.

 

            "I know.. Just as the rest of the Underground will eventually discover another human is among them."

 

            "ooh!! can I bring the human to show and tell, dad?? can I??"

 

            "Not before I watch them for a while. They're still injured Sans, and I can't have them getting worse in an accident of sort." You crossed your arms, a little miffed that they were just talking around you. Sans hadn't even asked if it was okay with you, and Gaster didn't say anything about that!

 

            "They're also still at the table with you guys." All three skeletons turned towards you, the tone in your voice giving away your declining mood. This felt like dinner at home all over again.

 

            "Oh... I apologize, ______. I just want to make sure you're feeling well enough before song something on your own. With that concussion of yours, you may be sleeping the entire day away for a while before things start to get better." While you were still a little upset, you couldn't deny that explanation. It wasn't as if you knew how to care for someone with a concussion, but you knew you'd have to take it easy before joining Sans in school. A sigh left your mouth, and you decided to chug the rest of your orange juice to finish off the meal.

 

            "...Fine. Then what do you suggest I do during the day? Stay here? Alone?" The doctor shrugged, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

 

            "Well, that is an option... But I was thinking more along the lines of bringing you to the LAB with me. Of course, I must drop off Sans before work, and we also need to find some clothes for you to wear if you decide to change, but I think I know what to do about that.." Gaster gave you an enthusiastic smile. "So! Your choices are A) stay here by yourself, B) stay with me at the LAB while I work, or C) I could try to find someone else to watch over you for the day while we figure out something better. Which would you prefer?" You paused for a moment, considering your options.

            The third one was definitely out. You didn't want to stay with someone you might not have met before because common sense was now working, and it told you that while Gaster and his sons may be nice, other monsters may not be. While you'd hope Gaster would choose someone he knew well, you still didn't want to risk it, so that was out of the question. The first wasn't really appealing, since all you could do was eat, sleep, watch television and write in your journal. There would be no one to help you if you happened to fall, which you were surprised the doctor didn't think of, but nobody's perfect. That, and you just didn't want to be alone with your thoughts. Looks like there was only one thing left.

 

            "I can just go with you. I don't really feel comfortable with the other choices."

 

            "Alright, it's settled then! Are you finished with your breakfast, Sans?" The small skeleton nodded, and you took note that Papyrus' bottle of formula was sitting empty in front of him. Gaster stood and lifted the baby out of his high chair. "Then start getting ready for school. And no lollygagging, you hear me?"

 

            "got it!" Sans jumped from his chair, disappearing before he could hit the ground. He was probably glad he could do that in the open now, but you wondered if he was mad at you for ratting him out.

 

            "Okay, ______." You noticed the bright smile Gaster was giving you. Something about it seemed a little _too_ bright. "I have just the thing for you to wear in this situation."

 

\--

 

            "....Wipe that smile off your face, doc."

 

            "Oh, but you look so adorable! Even Papyrus thinks so! Isn't that right, Papy?" The baby in question laughed happily at the attention from his father, not really knowing what was going on. "See?" You just crossed your arms and huffed, the soft fabric making you even warmer.

 

            "Whatever." Gaster had given you his clothes to wear. Specifically, a brown turtle neck and some plain black pants, both of which were surprisingly soft and warm. You had to roll up the pants so you wouldn't step on them, but left the sleeves long to cover your hands, making you an adorable sight to behold. In actuality, you were overjoyed to have clean clothes that were this comfy and loose, but you didn't want Gaster to gloat about 'what a great idea' it was after he wouldn't share his name with you. Instead, you grumbled in faux annoyance, sending a fake glare straight ahead as you walked beside the skeleton family. Skeleton fam.

            Skelefam.

            You'd have to hold onto that.

 

            "It's fine, we're just about at the school now." Sure enough, a stout building with a playground around the side came into view, and Sans shifted his little backpack to a more comfortable position. "Alright son, have a wonderful day. And if you need anything or find something interesting, _please_ let me know on my phone first."

 

            "heh, sorry. will do." The small boy ran off into the slowly gathering group of monsters, and it was only then that you noticed a few of the parents staring at you. This caused you to shift uncomfortably, as you didn't really know how they would take it.

 

            Gaster called into the crowd. "I love you!" A distant 'love you too' was heard, and that was enough for the doctor to sigh in satisfaction. "There he goes.." The two of you stood there, watching Sans disappear from sight until Gaster felt it was time to turn and leave. You turned as well, following him until a voice rose from the crowd.

 

            "Hey Gaster!" The skeleton turned once more at the familiar voice, only to find a yellow lizard woman jogging up to him in a button up shirt. She eyed you immediately, a welcoming smile on her face. "I see you got some new company! Mind introducing them to me, pal?"

 

            "Oh! Of course! ______, meet Thetaria. I mentioned Sans' playmate Alphys earlier, yes? Well, this is her mother. She's a part-time mechanic and a local volunteer at the Snowdin Librarby." Gaster gestures towards you, a smile still decorating his face. "Thetaria, this is ______. They fell into the underground and suffered a broken arm and a concussion. I managed to fix their arm, but I must watch them for a few days to make sure they're doing well." The lizard giggled, amusement clear in her eyes.

 

            "And they're just walking around in your clothes?" Papyrus giggled along with her as you slightly reddened, hoping no one would get the wrong idea.

 

            "They only had a set of dirty pajamas, and it was the best I could do on short notice."

 

            "Ah, man. I thought I had you there." Thetaria extended a clawed hand, her smile widening as you took it. "Nice to meet you, ______. Good to know you're in safe hands while you're healing." Her skin felt odd, and not in a scaly way. It was as if you were grabbing electricity that didn't shock you. Before you could think on it more, the lizard woman withdrew her hand and crossed her arms, smile shrinking to a smirk. "Just don't let ol' Wing Dings here run any tests on your SOUL." Gaster froze, shoulders stiffened in disbelief as you slowly turned your gaze towards him.

 

            _".....Wing Dings..?"_

 

            "Oh, so they didn't know your whole name, Dings? That's really rude, isn't it?" His cheeks were beginning to turn a shade of purple.

 

            "Thetaria, I swear-"

 

            "What the _fuck_ kind of name is Wing Dings?" The blush spread to his nasal area. Papyrus began patting his father, thinking there was something wrong when his face starting changing colors.

 

            "Aww, he's blushing! And here I thought you were supposed to be a professional, Wing Dings." Now his whole face was a dark shade of purple. The skeleton took a sharp breath, eyes scrunching up in embarrassment.

 

            "_____, language!! And Thetaria, if you don't quit that right now-" A dark smile spread across Gaster's face, his eyes narrowed with mischievous intent. _ **[I'll give Alphys a dozen Nice Cream bars for lunch.]**_ You didn't understand what he said, but judging by the shocked gasp from Thetaria, it couldn't have been good.

 

            "You wouldn't!" Gaster's smile widened a bit.

 

            **[Oh, I would. You know how she gets after eating anything with lactose in it.]** The doctor cleared his throat(??), a triumphant smile beaming as the blush faded from his skull. "Now then, if you'll excuse us, we have to leave in order to make it to the LAB on time." He wrapped an arm around your shoulder to keep you steady, still smiling. "Farewell." The two of you turned, beginning to walk away as you pondered what Gaster could have said. You had put two and two together to discover that he had somehow learned to speak in Wing Dings, and while it sounded really complex and cool, it was still disconcerting when you couldn't understand him. Add some low light and those glowing purple eyes of his, and sentences like that were a recipe for complete creepiness. Eek. However, there was something more important than creepy situations right now.

            Gaster just sassed a strong-looking lizard monster. Gaster the sass master.

 

            Sasster.

 

 

            You'd have to hold on to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Thetaria comes from How Gaster Became Dadster; It is not of my own thought and the original story should be recognized for it. That story is also here on AO3, and is another story I recommend if you like this one.


	12. The Nerd Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster introduces you to his followers.

            "So...." The walk to meet the River Person was relatively short and filled with awkward silence, but you were dead set on breaking it during the boat ride. What better way to do that than to ask about the things you learned from Thetaria?

            "You speak....in Wing Dings." Gaster sighed, already knowing this was coming.

 

            "Yes, I do. It's also called by another name down here, and I much prefer that name to..." He trailed off, not wanting to repeat any part of his first name, but you picked the sentence right up.

 

            "The other one?" The doctor nodded, and you slowly came to realize just how much he disliked his name. You felt kind of bad, to be honest. The guy just wanted to go to work and take care of his kids, so maybe you shouldn't make fun of his name, no matter how odd it was. "Well... I've always thought Wing Dings was a cool font." The corners of Gaster's mouth rose just a little bit.

 

            "..Thank you, ______." More silence. Did Gaster really hate his name that much? Maybe you were just reading too much into things.

 

            "Bababababa.." Papyrus tried to speak again, waving his hands at his father once he saw the slight smile. Of course, this only caused Gaster to smile more, making the tiny baby giggle and clap his hands.

 

            "Well, aren't you just a ball of sunshine? Don't want to see daddy unhappy, huh?" Papyrus giggled again, and Gaster couldn't help but pull his son into a hug, a small laugh of his own tumbling out. "My son, you are _such_ a happy baby."

 

            "That's cute.." The smiles were contagious, and now you were wearing one of your own. At the same time, your brain decided to continue the previous pattern from earlier. You were staying with a skeleton family(skelefam), and Gaster was having fun with his son. His skeleton son. "Oh my god, I just thought of the greatest thing." Your smile grew as Gaster waited for you to continue. "I'm with a skeleton father and his skeleson." Silence. Nobody said a word.

 

            "..Hee hee..." The two of you turned to stare at the River Person, genuinely surprised to hear them giggle. Gaster turned back to you, and you gave him a triumphant grin before he burst out laughing. You began laughing as well, but Papyrus just seemed confused and looked as if someone had just insulted him. The River Person stayed silent, but you could see their shoulders shaking with the effort not to laugh.

 

            "That was _fantastic_ , ______! With puns like that, you'll fit right in at the LAB!" With another small laugh, Gaster tried to calm himself down, taking notice that Hotland was approaching. You held your smile, glad that the tension had dissipated, and heard the River Person clear their throat in an attempt to not laugh. Perhaps they had to act professional too? Oh well. You'd gotten them to giggle, and that's what really mattered. "Thank you, River Person. I'm sure our guest will think of more puns later." The doctor helped you out of the boat, and you couldn't help but smile again at how Papyrus looked so put-off.

 

            "...That would be nice. Enjoy your day. Tra la la." While you were busy wondering why Paps was upset, Gaster had thanked the River Person again and was already leading you to the LAB. Hotland was just as hot as yesterday(last time? There was no sun, it was hard to tell), but it wasn't too long until the three of you were inside. Elyssa smiled at you, and you smiled back as Gaster flashed a badge in passing before calling the elevator.

 

            "Alright, ______. I have to drop off Papyrus at the daycare first, and then I'll introduce you to my team." You raised an eyebrow, giving him a curious look as you stepped into the elevator.

 

            "Team? Like, your coworkers or something?"

 

            "Well, I call them my followers. Two of them are just interns, one is a good friend of mine, and the last is..." He sighed. "..A small child that somehow sneaks into the LAB every day to watch me work. They each like to follow me around wherever they can, for what reasons I have no idea, but they're good monsters at heart. A little excitable, but I know they'll treat you with the same amount of respect as anyone else." You were about to respond, but the elevator opened to a daycare-like area. Small monsters were running around in a fairly large room you could see through a doorway, and looking down the hall, you could also see a separate area for baby or newborn monsters.

 

            "Wow..." You followed Gaster as he stepped up to a nearby desk and smiled at the attendant, who looked to be some sort of strange rock monster.

 

            "Good morning, Doctor! Here to drop off the little sunspot?"

 

            "What else would I be here for?" The attendant chuckled at the response.

 

            "Well, you know the drill. Just sign him in here and we'll take him for the day." Gaster nodded, and you couldn't help but look around at the children in the next room. They were just so _cute!_ A few of them had noticed you watching and waved excitedly, only smiling wider when you waved back. Some of them giggled and began whispering amongst each other, giving you bright smiles and a few more waves. You were thankful that only a few of them had noticed you and that they were taking your appearance rather well. Actually, did they even know you were a human? They probably thought you were some kind of weird monster. That was okay though. Maybe you'd come visit the children when you felt better.

 

            "Looks like you've gained your _own_ followers now, ______." Gaster was giving you a knowing smile, and you playfully smacked his arm.

 

            "Stop that." This made him smile wider as he motioned you back towards the elevator.

 

            "Then let's go visit mine. I'm sure they'll love you." And at that moment, as the two of you stepped back into the elevator, a sudden thought struck you. If Gaster had his own interns, or followers rather, then what kind of scientist was he?

 

            Just how important was Gaster?

 

\--

 

            "Alright ______, you stay here in the hallway for now. My followers may be welcoming, but they can also be a bit overwhelming, so I'd like to introduce you as gently as possible. Just come in when I call you, okay?" Oh. Wow, thanks Gaster. That was actually pretty thoughtful.

            With a small nod, you leaned against the wall as the doctor lightly knocked on the door before entering the room next to you. Not even a second later, someone screamed.

 

            _"OH MY GOD, HE'S HERE!!"_ You winced and scooted down the hallway a bit, hoping there wouldn't be any more loud noises. That scream had really hurt your ears.

 

            _"Aspen, please! Indoor voice!"_

 

            "Sorry, sorry! We just heard _soooo_ many things about you yesterday!!" You heard Gaster sigh, and could practically see the deadpan look on his face.

 

            "Of course. Why would I expect any different?" It had taken some straining to hear that, considering he was muttering under his breath, but now the doctor was back to normal volume. "Well, go on then. I imagine the news spread fast, so what do you-"

 

            "Is there really a new human down here??" A few other questions had rang out at the same time, but the monster who asked this one had been the loudest, and even caused you to wince a little from the volume. Curse their high and squeaky voice.

 

            "Yes, there is. A human has fallen into the Underground." Various _'ooh'_ s and gasps of wonder were heard before Gaster continued. "They were severely injured when they fell down here, and that's why I had to leave yesterday."

 

            "Wait, they're okay, right?" A slightly deep voice interrupted the explanation. "They didn't track that weird red stuff everywhere, did they?" Wow. Thanks for the concern, whoever-you-are.

 

            "No, they're mostly fine now. I was able to fix the broken arm they had, but they've suffered a mild concussion and will need supervision for a week or two. Bright light and loud noises will bother them, so please be considerate when they-"

 

            "Hold the phone, G." Another male voice. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, are ya?" Gaster cleared his throat and went silent, probably for dramatic effect. That nerd.

 

            "...Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our newest human resident." That was probably your cue, right? Yeah, that was it. You had peeked in to check, and that's when Gaster waved you over, so that was definitely your cue. With a nervous smile, you slowly stepped into the room and stood before four _very_ different monsters.

 

            "Oh my god." The very large blue one spoke first, and you recognized the voice as the one who had screamed. What had Gaster called her? Aspen? "They're so _cuuuuuute!!"_ You winced again, and the blue monster gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry!! I'll try to be quieter!" She, the voice was definitely female, somehow sauntered her way over to you on what appeared to be her neck _(what the hell??)_ and grinned widely, her eyes practically sparkling. "Hi, I'm Aspen! I'm basically like the personal secretary to this guy here."

 

            "You're an intern." Aspen turned to the doctor now.

 

            "A _secretary_ intern! Come on Doc, you know I help out a lot around here!" That got a small smile out of Gaster, who simply patted the monster's giant blue head _(seriously, how the hell did she move around and pick things up??)._

 

            "Indeed you do. Now, unless you three want _me_ to do it," he shot a playful smirk at the remaining followers. "I suggest you introduce yourselves as well."

 

            " _Ooh!!_ Me first, me first!!" A small dinosaur monster ran up to you, the little bow on her head bouncing with each step she took. You would have stuck out a hand to shake, but the girl didn't have any arms. What was with the no arms trend? "Hello!! My name is Kid, and I'm super excited to meet you!" Wait, so their actual name was Kid? That must be confusing. "Are you a nice human? You must be nice if Doctor Gaster helped you! You should meet my brother someday! I bet he'd be so happy to meet an actual human, and-"

 

            "Kid, please. They're still injured, and the others haven't even told them their names yet." Although the skeleton had said this with a smile, Kid still drooped a bit and frowned.

 

            "Sorry, Doctor Gaster." He gave her a pat on the head as well.

 

            "Calm down, you're not in trouble." Kid immediately perked back up.

 

            "Okay!!" The child dashed off to talk with Aspen. If you knew anything about girls, it was that they were probably talking about you. Lo and behold, Gaster had heard exactly what you thought was being said and cast a disappointed look at the two.

 

            "Ladies. I know you're excited, but it hasn't even been two minutes, and you've only just met the human. It's rude to talk about someone who's listening." Kid pouted and hung her head while Aspen paused, seeming to think something over.

 

            "..Yeah....I guess I wouldn't like it if someone did that to me." The monster turned to your with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that, human. The Doc is right, that was really rude of me. I didn't even ask your name." Wow. While you had thought Aspen was one of those people who gossiped a lot, she seemed to actually think things through a bit and was nicer than you anticipated. Geez, now you felt a bit bad for judging her, especially about her looks. But she was apologizing, right? If that was the case, then you'd just have to wipe away those previous thoughts and start over.

 

            "That's okay." You smiled back at her. "My name is ______." Aspen smiled slightly wider.

 

            "It's nice to meet you, ______." Gaster nodded approvingly at the exchange and motioned for one of the other two monsters to start talking. The shorter of the two stepped forward, and just like Kid, they only reached about waist high compared to you. With a quick smile, the monster held out a small orange hand.

 

            "Hello. My name is Tronde. I'm the one who keeps things clean and organized around here, unlike _some_ monsters." Tronde had jerked his head towards the final follower, who simply grinned at the comment. It sort of threw you off, considering the other monster's entire face was black except for their smile, but you brushed it off and shook Tronde's hand.

 

            "Nice to meet you." The small monster's eyes wandered to your outfit and he raised a brow in confusion.

 

            "...Why are you wearing Gaster's clothes?"

 

            "Oh- I- Uh-" You stuttered in embarrassment, having completely forgotten about that. Thankfully, Gaster stepped up next to you and placed a calming hand in your shoulder.

 

            "The clothes they arrived in were scuffed and dirty, and this was the only thing I could find on short notice." Tronde nodded in approval after looking you over once more.

 

            "Good call." Before anything else could be said, the last monster shoved Tronde to the side, their grin still visible on their face.

 

            "Okay, my turn!" The cat monster stuck out a hand and you hesitantly shook it, not liking the way you couldn't read the emotions on his face(if you had to in the future, that would be pretty difficult). "______, right? You can call me Xander, Xan, or whatever else you can think of." He let go of your hand, only to throw an arm around Gaster's shoulders. The skeleton in question raised a brow bone, but didn't say anything. "Me and G here have been best buds since we were _really_ little, and now-" You would have kept listening, but Aspen had come up beside you to whisper in your ear.

 

            _"We think he's got a crush on the doctor."_ Your brows quickly flew up in surprise, but Xander had made some joke that he and Gaster were laughing at, so neither of them noticed your expression. What made the others think _that?_ They had to have good reason for such an assumption, right? And why would Aspen tell you right off the bat?? Good god, things were confusing.

 

            "Well, I believe that's everyone. ______, it's about time for us to start working for the day. Would you like to take a nap in the next room over?" Still stunned from the whispered secret, you nodded half-heartedly. You needed to think about things. "Very well. Aspen, would you please escort them? They still suffer bouts of dizziness from time to time."

 

            "You got it, Doc!"

 

            "And Xander, would you check on the blasters for me? I'd like to take a look at the SOUL algorithms from yesterday before picking up where I left off."

 

            "Sure thing." Gaster began asking something of Tronde, but Aspen was already by your side before you could listen.

 

            "Come on, ______! It's just next door." The monster began moving out of the room and you followed after her, still wondering how she was so comfortable just sliding around on the end of her neck. Maybe it wasn't her neck at all? Either way, the walk to the room didn't take long, and after you had entered, Aspen began opening cabinets and drawers with her mouth(Tronde probably hated that). A moment passed before she made a triumphant squeak and pulled out a blanket. "Hewe wou go!"

 

            "Oh, uh..." You took the blanket, and just after that, Aspen pulled out a pillow as well, which you also took.

 

            "If you need anything, just come over and knock. Only the doctor knocks, so we'll know it's you, okay?" You nodded, a gentle smile spreading across your face.

 

            "Thank you, Aspen-" A loud crash sounded somewhere nearby.

 

            _ **"SHIT!"**_

 

            "Xander, there is a _child_ here!"

 

            "G, language isn't gonna matter when the whole building's _blown to bits!!"_

 

            _"What?!"_

 

            _"Ow! Just- **GET IN HERE AND CONTROL THESE THINGS!"**_

 

            "Oh my _god_.." Hurried footsteps were heard in the hallway and a nervous glance passed between you and Aspen.

 

            "Uh... I better check if they're okay." You just nodded again and watched as she hurriedly scooted out of the room. Gaster wasn't kidding. You had only just met them, but his followers were definitely excitable. At least they treated you well and not like an experiment.

 

            Ha. Experiment.

 

 

            Surely you'd _never_ be part of one of those.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I gave them names! Hopefully you can know who is who, but if not, you can pop over to Quotev and search up this story. I made a picture specifically for this chapter on that website, and it should be able to help clear things up.
> 
> Bear in mind that Kid is the older sister of MK (Monster Kid), who is still just a tiny tot at this time.


	13. What the Hell is This Thing and Why Did You Make It?!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's an accident in the LAB.

            It wasn't too hard to settle down on the countertop in the room. The air wasn't really cold, so you were able to cushion yourself with the blanket by putting it underneath you instead of on top, and the pillow gently cradled your head, making sleep come _very_ easily. Things had calmed down with whatever Xander and Gaster were doing, and the other Followers were being pretty quiet. To your surprise, you knocked right out after spending a few seconds laying down. Maybe it was a result of the concussion? You knew that the human brain healed itself much better when one was asleep, so you had no complaints about it. Sleep was awesome. 'Nuff said.

            You weren't sure how long it had been, but at some point you were woken up by a constant pressure on your stomach. When your eyes fluttered open, you realized what it was and why it felt so odd. Kid was standing in front of the counter, lightly head butting you due to her lack of arms. It wasn't long before she noticed you were awake, and a smile spread across her face.

 

            "Hey!" Oh good, she was whispering. That wouldn't be too hard on the ears. "I wanted to say sorry about earlier! You're just soooo cool and everything because I've _never_ seen the other human that's down here, but now I get to talk to _you_ and stuff!" Aw, that was cute. You couldn't help but pat her head and smile back at her.

 

            "That's okay. I'd never seen monsters before yesterday. I think you're pretty cool too." Her face practically lit up the room with her smile. It was just too cute. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

 

            "You came from the surface, right? The place above the Underground?" Your smile faltered, and you suddenly realized what Kid was most curious about.

 

            "Uh...yeah."

 

            "Can you tell me what a star is? Mommy says the _real_ stars are supposed really really pretty, but nobody even knows what a star is, except for the really old monsters who were in the war and stuff, but they never wanna talk about it, and I don't know why." Oh, you could think of a couple reasons why. Unfortunately, you didn't have the heart to reject this little girl, and besides, all she was asking was _what_ a star was. Not if they were beautiful. This should be easy, right?

 

            "Well, a star is a giant ball of gas that burns in the middle of space. It's very far away, so far in fact, that all you would be able to see is a small twinkling light in the sky. That's what a star is."

 

            "Ohhhhhhh, okay." Kid gained a thoughtful look for a moment. "...What's a space?" Oh lord, somebody save you. Your brain wasn't healed enough to start thinking about the vastness of space and how many potential planets and ecosystems there were. You were not the person who could tell her that. But...maybe someone else could?

 

            "Uh... How about you ask Gaster? I think he knows what space is, and since he's super smart and all, he should know more about it than I do." At the mention of Gaster, Kid's eyes practically sparkled. How much did she even look up to him?

 

            "Okay!! Thank you!!" Ouch. That small shout kind of hurt, but you were too preoccupied watching the child scuttle out of the room in an oddly adorable way and push the door closed with her head. Now you were back in the comfort of relative quiet(murmurs could be slightly heard from the next room) and darkness. Although, Kid did give you something to think about later on. Who exactly was the other human down here? Were they a boy or girl, and how old were they? If anything would comfort you, it'd be the presence of another human other than yourself. Oh, you couldn't wait to meet them and talk. Maybe then you'd feel a better sense of normalcy. Gaster and his family were nice and all, but you weren't able to just switch from the world above you knew and this one down here in the blink of an eye. It would take time, but as long as nice monsters like the King, Queen, Gaster and his followers were watching out for you, maybe things would be okay.

            You let out a long yawn. Looks like you were still tired. That was fine, seeing as you still had plenty of time to take another nap. With a light smile on your face, you settled back down and closed your eyes. Things would be better soon, you just knew it.

 

\--

 

            _"What do you mean it's gone? How can it not be there??"_

 

_"Well, Kid doesn't have any arms, so maybe she left the lock open by mistake?"_

 

_"Good god. Kid, just ask someone to show them to you next time, alright?"_

 

_"Okay... M'sorry..."_

 

_"The Doc's not gonna be happy."_

 

_"Look, everything will be fine. G's still on his lunch break, so all we have to do is split up and find the thing before he gets back."_

 

_"One of us has to watch the Human."_

 

_"I'll do it. Just go out and find it, will ya? We don't have a lot of time as it is."_

 

\--

 

            Someone was shaking you awake. It didn't take long to wake you, but you certainly didn't want to open your eyes. Nevertheless, you did so and met the blank slate of Xander's face.

 

            "Hey, I know you wanna sleep, buuuuut...we have a big problem." You sat up and began rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, not missing the nervous tone of voice Xander had. "See, G has been working on this experiment to try and bust us out of the Underground. One thing led to another, and now one of the prototypes is missing from its pen. The others are out looking for it to try and catch it before G gets back, but it's extremely dangerous if either of them get riled up, so... We can't leave you alone in here, you get me?" It took a few seconds for you to process things, but then it hit you. Something dangerous was on the loose in the LAB, and now Xander had to protect you? What even _was_ the experiment? And how did you know this wasn't just a trick to 'have fun with the human' or whatever?

 

             "..You're not joking with me, are you?" His ears perked up in surprise.

 

            "What? _No!_ Look, we _really_ need to find this thing because nothing outside its pen is magic proof, and if someone sets G off, it's _not_ gonna be pretty. We haven't checked how powerful this one is yet! It could _dust_ someone, you understand me??" All you could do was stare blankly at him.

 

            "..Dust someone? What do you-"

 

            _"Oh my god._ You know what, just- come on." Xander gently pulled you down from the counter, keeping a hand on an arm to steady you just in case. "Follow me, and don't make a sound. It's limited to this floor, so finding it shouldn't be too difficult." Even though you were still slightly confused, you nodded, slowly becoming aware of the possible danger. The more you processed what he said, the more fearful you became. You didn't even know what this thing looked like, and Xander was leading you out of the room to look for it. Maybe coming to work with Gaster wasn't such a good idea after all.

            The sudden light in the hallway caused you to squint your eyes, slightly exasperating the full throb in your temples, but you could ignore it for the time being if your life was on the line. If this experiment was this dangerous, why the hell did they keep it here in the first place? It could kill someone, and- Ohhhhhh. _That's_ what dusting a monster meant. Wow, that took a little longer to figure out than you would have liked. But what did dust have to do with monsters? Oh man, you'd have a _lot_ of questions for Gaster once things were over.

            Xander led you down the hall, tiptoeing as quietly as possible, and you mimicked his movements. So far, there was nothing, not even another monster. Did Gaster and his followers have this floor all to themselves? Or was everyone else on lunch break too? Whatever the case, it seemed to make things easier, and you continued searching instead. At one point, the two of you even ran into Tronde, who reported nothing with a shake of his head. The three of you parted ways again, and you continued following Xander through the LAB, sloooowly becoming more nervous with each passing minute. Not knowing what this thing looked like was bad enough, but how was it able to avoid everyone for this long? Was it just really small? Maybe it was super smart? Or maybe it-

            Xander stopped, and you accidentally bumped into him as he stretched out an arm to block your path. His tail was twitching, his ears stood at attention, and it was only once you peered into the next room that you realized what was going on.

            Your stomach flipped once more at the sight of the experiment. It looked like some sort of animal skull, except it wasn't any animal you had ever seen before. Coupled with the size of it, which was _ginormous_ by the way, it was already intimidating, but add in the fact that it was _floating off the ground,_ and you had a very tasty recipe for instant fear. The only comforting thing about this situation was that the skull thing seemed to be distracted by all the papers that were spread across the counter in the room. It sniffed at them(what??) and nudged them with its teeth, further scattering them and pushing a few to the floor. Xander held a finger up and silently shushed you before quietly sneaking up behind the experiment. You gladly hid behind the doorway, not wanting to go anywhere near that thing in the first place, never mind your condition. Only a few steps into the room, Xander cleared his throat, and the skull whooshed around in surprise, a white glow building up in its gigantic mouth. In response, your friend held up his hands in a nonthreatening way.

 

            "Woah, easy there, buddy! It's just me!" The skull paused for a second before the glow diminished, and the experiment immediately rushed forward, snuggling up to Xander in a very dog-like way. If you weren't so afraid of the thing, you might've thought it cute as the cat monster petted the skull's head. "There ya go. I just wanted to check up on ya, that's all." There was a low rumbling from the thing. Was it....purring? What the actual hell?? "Haha, I missed you too, buddy. But you're not supposed to be out of your pen, you know that? Now come on, let's get you back before G gets here. You wouldn't want him to get mad at you, would you?" The skull whined in protest. "That's what I thought. So let's go, okay? Come on, I've got a new friend to introduce you too." Xander turned to you and motioned for you to come out before he strode back towards the door. As much as you didn't want to, you felt like you had to trust Xander since he looked like he knew what he was doing, so you begrudgingly stepped out from behind the doorway. The skull tilted it's head(or body) and narrowed its sockets at you in suspicion, but Xander went to stand next to you, a light smile on his face. "This is ______. They're new here, and G's taking care of them right now, so you have to play nice, alright?" The skull whined again, but Xander frowned at the experiment. "Don't give me that. They're not as bad as you think." This entire situation confused you. First he said the experiment was dangerous, but now he was treating it like a pet? What was going on here??

            Just as you were trying to figure out how this thing was dangerous, your questions were answered when the skull suddenly perked up, and the glowing white light from before began building in its mouth again.

 

            _"GET DOWN!"_  Everything happened in slow motion. Xander whipped around and roughly shoved you to the floor right as the light reached it's brightest, and you finally understood what this thing might be as you hit the ground, your friend now standing right in front of the skull. You could only watch as Xander turned once more to face the oncoming attack, your eyes widening in fear when the skull opened its mouth.

 

            The experiment fired.

 

\--

 

            "Thank you again for the parfait, Lorren. I'm sure Sans and Papyrus will love it." The squid monster smiled at Gaster, one of his tentacles pouring a pot of coffee into a mug, which he held in a different tentacle.

 

            "No prob, Gaster! My wife and I know I don't need it, but she'll be glad to know your sons will like it. Maybe she'll eventually bake a pie for you too! Friends do that for each other all the time, you know."

 

            "Yes, yes, I know. Why, the other day, Sans told me one his his classmates had-"

 

            "Ouch!" Lorren had forgotten that mugs aren't bottomless, and because he was not paying attention, he ended up over-pouring, successfully spilling hot coffee on himself. The squid monster flinched and let go of the mug and pot, but Gaster's quick reflexes allowed him to catch the items(and the coffee) in midair. His purple eyes met those of his friend, and he smiled and shook his head.

 

            " _Really_ now, Lorren. You simply _must_ be more careful-" There was a resounding **_BOOM_**  from somewhere in the building, and Gaster's eyes widened in horror.

 

            "Uh...Dr. Gaster?" The skeleton hastily set the mug and pot on the counter(while streaming the coffee back into the pot) and rushed out of the room, not even bothering with an explanation. Yes, there were various explosions every now and then inside the LAB, but they each sounded different and had varying levels of volume. This one sounded terrifyingly familiar, and if Gaster knew what it sounded like, then something must have gone horribly wrong. His followers needed him, and although he would have liked to teleport straight to the lower floor, using his magic might set off another blast. Not only that, but _you_ were down there, and who _knows_ what would happen to you if you were hit. The blast could further aggravate your concussion, or worse, it could damage your very SOUL. His hands were tied then.

 

            All he could do was take the elevator and hope everyone was okay.

 

\--

 

            Everything was quiet. All you could hear was your own heartbeat as you lay on the ground, Xander's body right next to you. You didn't move as the skull experiment floated closer and loudly whined, it's snout poking and nudging at your friend. For a moment, he didn't react. It was only when the thing licked his face _(it didn't have a tongue earlier, so how did it have one now???)_ that the cat groaned and flattened his ears.

 

            "..S...Stop..." You released a breath you didn't know you were holding and sat up as quickly as possible without making yourself dizzy.

 

            _"Are you alright?"_ The skull licked Xander again as he lifted a shaky hand to weakly swat it away. It didn't work.

 

            "Y-Yeah... M'fine....." The cat monster tried moving, but quickly stopped and groaned again. "..Just can't move..." You sighed and laid back down, the stress of the previous moment now catching up to you. All you wanted to do was sleep. And maybe cry. You almost lost one of your new friends, and it was only the day after you had arrived. Maybe you'd ask Gaster if you could just stay at his house and sleep where there were no dangerous experiments that could potentially kill you and your friends. Yeah, that sounded like a plan. You simply closed your eyes and breathed as footsteps approached and voices began talking. The other followers sounded very worried and panicked, but Xander slowly and painfully made it clear that you were unharmed, and they let you just relax on the ground. You could hear shuffling next to you, which was probably the others helping Xander up,  but the next thing you heard frightened you to your very core. There was a low whine right above you, and even though you really did not want to, you opened your eyes. Floating above you was the experiment, gazing down at you with worried eye sockets. You froze, not knowing how to react or even call for help, when your saving grace finally showed up.

 

            _" What, dare I ask, is the meaning of this?!?"_ You turned your head to see Gaster coming towards you, and you were finally able to breath again when he shooed the skull away. It backed up with another whine, and Gaster gave it a glare before offering you a hand, which you gladly took. Standing next to the doctor, you were able to see the sheepish faces of his followers as they all awkwardly stood by, save for Xander. He was leaning on Aspen, and although his face was black and prevented you from seeing anything but his mouth, he looked as if he was about to pass out.

            "Well? _Someone_ tell me why one of my blasters is running around outside it's containment area and why it was allowed to fire at _not only_ my best friend, _but at  ______ as well!!_ " Nobody spoke. Everything was awkward, and no one even knew how to respond to Gaster. Fortunately, Xander began lightly giggling, breaking the uncomfortable silence. It was weird, but it helped ease the tension slightly.

 

            "Aww..heh heh..... Y-You care...about us..." At this, Gaster simply sighed, bringing a hand up in a face-palming gesture.

 

            "Just...get him something to eat and a place to rest. I'll take care of the blaster." The followers immediately shuffled away, Kid practically running down the hallway. You were thinking that she might just take the elevator and leave instead of staying, but before you could finish that train of thought, a loud whine echoed through the room. Gaster was glaring at the experiment again, and he pointed to a spot in front of him, his foot tapping in annoyance. "Come here. _Now._ " The skull(blaster?) slowly floated forward, it's head-body tilted down to imitate a pout. "You know better than to leave that room without me or Xander!  _Now_ look at what you've done! You've blasted a hole into the LAB, very nearly dusted my best friend, and have just about _killed_ our guest!  _What were you thinking??_ " The blaster whined again and made some sort of barking noise, but Gaster held up a hand. " _Nope._  I don't want to hear it. The deed is done, and there's nothing we can do about it now." He pointed out the doorway. "You get back to that room _this instant_. I will decide your punishment once everything is taken care of, and we make sure Xander doesn't _die._ " The blaster whined once more and floated out of the room, leaving you and the Doctor alone together, but you just couldn't shake off the strange scene you'd just witnessed. Did Gaster just go straight up parent-mode on this thing? And it listened to him?? You put a hand to your head in confusion, causing Gaster to gaze worryingly at you. "Are you alright?"

 

            "Uh, yeah.. I just really want to sleep now." A gentle hand was placed on your shoulder, and the doctor gave you a reassuring smile.

 

            "I think we could do that. I'll explain everything once we get home, alright?" He began leading you out of the room and back down the hallway. "Come along now, ______." You let him lead you, not really trusting your legs to keep you moving without help. In all honesty, you'd just had the life scared out of you, and this was only the second day here. You couldn't help but be a bit apprehensive of what the future would hold for you, especially considering what just happened. You didn't sign up for this much excitement when you went on that camping trip. You just wanted to crawl into bed in sleep. To drift off and forget this ever happened. You....

 

            You _really_ wanted to go home..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a healthy dose of near-death to make you love life, am I right? :D


	14. Stress Isn't Good for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster's not happy.

            Things were quiet while Gaster led you back to the room you had been staying in. You didn't really know how to start a conversation at that point because although he seemed somewhat calm now, Gaster seemed pretty mad earlier, and anger doesn't usually just dissipate like that. He was probably going to give the followers a stern talking to when the two of you arrived, and although you had been scared for your life, the others genuinely tried to keep you safe. Who knows what would have happened if they'd just left you alone and the blaster had wandered into the room with you? There was no more time to think, as the two of you had arrived back at the room.

 

            "Alright, you can just relax in there for a little while longer. I'm going to have a little _talk_ with those followers of mine." Without even waiting for your response, Gaster stepped into the other room, leaving you alone in the hallway. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, you returned to the room you were previously in. To your surprise, Xander was sitting against the wall, a few snacks on either side of him. He looked up in the middle of chewing on something in his hand and paused before motioning you over and swallowing.

 

            "..Are you okay? You looked pretty bad back there," you questioned, taking a seat next to the cat. He nodded and smiled at you.

 

            "Yeah, I'm good. Feel a lot better now that I've eaten something. I can probably run and jump around now, but knowing G, he's gonna get after me for doing that and not resting." He ate the last piece of the snack in his hand before continuing. "Monster food's pretty good at healing stuff, ya know?"

 

           "Oh, yeah. Gaster told me." Xander nodded approvingly before pulling another snack out of his pocket and offering it to you.

 

            "Here. You should totally try one of these, considering you're recovering from a concussion and stuff. Maybe it'll speed up the healing process." You hesitantly took the sugary treat and gazed at it confusedly, twisting and turning it in your hands.

 

            "...What is it?"

 

            "It's a Cinnamon Bunny." He took another bite of his snack. "Go on, try it. As long as you're not allergic ta cinnamon or anything, I'm sure you'll love it." With a wary glance at Xander, to turned back to your snack and finally took a bite. Your eyes widened in surprise as you chewed the sugary treat.

 

            "Dish ish reawwy good!" While it was rude to talk with ones mouth full, you just _had_ to exclaim your surprise verbally, and this only made Xander smile.

 

            "See? I knew you'd like it." The two of you lapsed into silence as you ate the Cinnamon Bunny, but you continued to think as your headache went away. You remembered the angry tone of voice Gaster held earlier, and it honestly had you worried. He seemed really angry, and you weren't sure how the followers would fare with their biggest idol(at least, that's what you assumed) being mad at them. While swallowing the last bit of Cinnamon Bunny, you decided to voice your concerns to Xander.

 

            "Hey, how mad is Gaster right now? He just seemed really upset earlier and-"

 

            "Let me stop ya right there, friend." You stopped short, genuinely confused as to why Xander cut you off. "That?" He pointed to the direction that the blaster had been found. "Yeah, no. That was not his mad face. That was his _'why would you let this happen you could have died or been seriously hurt'_ face. Or in other words, his worried face. Like,  _real_ worried face."

 

            "So...he's not mad?"

 

            "Well, _yeah_ , he's mad about us accidentally letting a blaster run free and almost getting dusted. But he's not _angry_." The smile left Xander's face. "And trust me friend, ya haven't seen him angry yet. His isn't the kind of explosive and obvious rage. It's cold and quiet, like the silent treatment. He looks and acts completely calm, but you can see it in his eyes that he's just a hair away from attacking at full force." Xander leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. "It's a scary thing ta see, but hardly anyone's gotten him ta that point. He's only gotten that mad...once? _Maybe_ twice? The guy's a control freak when it comes ta his appearance, and he doesn't like ta show certain things ta other people. Likes ta keep up appearances and stuff, you know? I'm sure you've probably seen it if he took ya home with him." You nodded in agreement, remembering how easily he had accidentally revealed his kids weren't his own kids.

 

            "So, it's like...parent mad?"

 

            "Mhm. Parent mad. He's not happy about what happened , but he's glad that we're safe." You sighed in relief, feeling just a bit better about the followers in the next room.

 

            "Okay, thank you. I was kind of worried about what he would do when-" Voices from next door cut you off, loudly complaining and saying _'nooo'_ about something. Before you had time to think what the others were complaining about, a louder voice rang out, silencing everyone else nearby.

 

            _"As the Royal Scientist, I can put my projects on hold when I need to!! You cannot change my mind!! I'm going to take the next few days off, and that is FINAL!!"_ Quiet. From next door, you could hear what was assumed to be a few mumbled apologies, followed by soft footsteps and a door opening and closing. Next thing you knew, Gaster was standing in the doorway of the room and walking inside. He gave you a passing smile and immediately kneeled next to his friend, leaving you to stare at him open-mouthed.

            "How are you doing?"

 

            "Good, good. ______ here is keeping me company."

 

            "You- I- When-" You sputtered a bit before finding the right words. "Y-You're the...the Royal Scientist..?" Gaster looked surprised for a moment before bringing a hand to his face.

 

            "....I never told you, did I-"

 

            _"No!"_ Even though the tone of voice you held made it seem like you were angry, you were far from it. In fact, you actually crawled over to Gaster and just straight up hugged him, your eyes watering with tears of joy. "But I'm staying at your house, so who cares.." This was completely unexpected from you,and he didn't even know what was wrong, so all Gaster could do was hesitantly bring a hand up and pat you on the back.

 

            "Um..... There, there?" A+ comforting, Gaster.

 

            "They're just stoked about you technically being royalty, G." You let out a small whine, still feeling pretty awestruck about this new fact and _really_ wishing you could tell Tyler about it.

 

            "Oh. Is that all?" He returned the hug with one arm and smiled at his friend. "I keep forgetting that fact sometimes."

 

            "Ha! Really, G? You sure didn't have a problem bringing it up next door. What was that about, anyway?"

 

            "Oh, hush. You know I only use my title when absolutely necessary. In this case, I told the others that I was going to take the next few days off in order to properly take care of ______ without having to worry about them getting hurt here in the LAB, and since I'll be all the way in Snowdin, the blasters can't react to my magic due to the distance between us." Xander nodded, one of his ears flicking cutely. God, you loved cats.

 

            "Sounds like a great idea. You always think of the best things, man."

 

            "So.. We can just go back to your house now?" Gaster smiled down at you as you finally released him from the hug.

 

            "Yes, we can. I just have to pick up Papyrus first." You let out a sigh of relief, still feeling slightly stressed from the earlier incident.

 

            "Oh, thank god. I could use a nap right about now."

 

            "I imagine. After today, I think we both could use a break. Xander, are you able to stand and move normally now?"

 

            "Yup," he responded, giving a thumbs up. "I've been able to since before you got back. Just haven't moved since you'd probably yell at me for 'not resting and regaining my strength'." Gaster simply rolled his eyes at this, a smile still on his face.

 

            "Alright then. I trust you to be the one in charge while I'm gone." Now Xander was giving two thumbs up. "______, are you ready to go?"

 

            "I'm ready for a nap, that's what I am." Gaster' smile grew a bit at your comment.

 

            "Then let's go get Papyrus."

 

\--

 

            It took a lot of work for you to not fall asleep on the boat, but you were rewarded for it when you were able to get off without needing help. Things were still a bit foggy in your mind, but that Cinnamon Bunny had helped clear it out some, as well as getting rid of your head ache. You'd have to thank Xander sometime, but for now, you were too distracted by little baby Papyrus giggling and reaching for his dad. He was probably super excited that Gaster had picked him up early and would likely be spending more time with him, so the tiny baby was just very talkative and happy at the moment. Oh my god, he was just too cute.

 

            "Would you like to hold him?" Oops. Gaster had seen you staring at him. Now he was giving you a sly smile as he put Papyrus in your hands, knowing your answer before you uttered a word. You smiled back in thanks and looked back down at the tiny skeleton, who had begun giggling again and reaching his hands towards you.

 

            "Oh my god, you precious thing you." With a smile, you held him a bit closer, and he only giggled more, finally reaching a hand just high enough to pat your nose. Jesus, this kid was going to kill you with cuteness if you weren't careful.

            Gaster chuckled as the three of you finally reached the house, and once he unlocked the door, he actually held it open for you like a gentleman. You smiled at him in thanks as you walked in, but suddenly stopped when something dashed upstairs. Something white and blue. Oh no, it _couldn't_ be-

 

            "Sans?" You furrowed your brows, narrowing your eyes to try and see the tiny skeleton as he hid behind the railing on the second floor, but you couldn't see very well and began wondering if you had actually seen Sans. Then Gaster shut the door, looking very suspicious.

 

            "....Please tell me you did not just say what I think you said."

 

            "Uh-" You were about to tell him maybe you were just seeing things, but then a tiny skull peeked out from behind the railing, quickly hiding again when Gaster happened to glance over there.

 

            "You _cannot_ be serious." With a sigh, the doctor did yet another facepalm. "...Sans, I know you're here. There's no use hiding anymore." A moment of tense silence passed before the small skeleton peeked out from behind the railing again. Meanwhile, Papyrus cooed at the sight of his brother and made little grabby hands towards him.

 

            "....hi dad..." Gaster gave his son a tired look and asked one simple question.

 

            "Why?"

 

            "um...." Sans fidgeted in place for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation. "i was hungry for something besides the lunch at school, so i-"

 

            "Don't lie." The stern tone of voice his father used made Sans more nervous, and you were starting to feel a little awkward just standing on the sidelines.

 

            "o-okay, um... i just got _really_ tired of being at school and wanted to go home already." Gaster raised a brow bone, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

 

            "Hm. A plausible excuse for a monster your age." His mood changed at the drop of a hat. Now he looked a little miffed, even going so far as to cross his arms. " _But you're still lying._ This is your last chance. Tell me the truth or your punishment is only going to be harder." Sans fidgeted a little more, looking more nervous each passing second before letting out a sigh.

 

            "....the other monsters are still bullying me.." There was silence for a moment, but you could see Gaster's eyes soften.

 

            ".....Vinnie and Aiden again?" Sans nodded, hugging one of the railing poles like a teddy bear.

 

            "they still tease me about you, and now that they heard about ______, it's only gotten worse..." You and Gaster exchanged concerned glances, both of your expressions mirroring each other. All the monsters you had met so far were incredibly nice, so what kind of monsters would pick on a little boy just because of their parent? And they were kids? These two sounded absolutely horrible, which took you back to when Mike was still all by himself. The idea that another person making fun of something out of someone's control made you sick, and by the look in his eyes, the same applied to Gaster. He sure didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry at Sans anymore either. He was probably parent mad again, and this time, you could fully understand what he was feeling.

 

            "....Alright. You can stay here for the rest of the day." Sans immediately perked up, looking genuinely surprised at his father's words. "But you're getting one more day added on to your previous punishment, and you have to go back to school tomorrow, okay?" Giving his dad a small smile, Sans nodded.

 

            "okay." With that, the tiny skeleton hopped down the stairs and back into the living room, where Papyrus was now wiggling in your arms, wanting to say hi to his brother. As you knelt down so the two could see each other, Gaster sighed, rubbing his temples like they were aching. It kind of threw you off, considering the whole skeleton thing. He had no skin! No muscles! How could he get a headache??

 

            "Now, I don't know about the rest of you," the doctor began, finally taking his coat off and hanging it. "But I could go for a warm cup of tea." Sans smiled and hopped excitedly.

 

            "ooh, yeah!"

 

            "That would be nice." You could definitely use one after today's incident, and Gaster likely knew as well, due to the smile he gave you.

 

            "Alright, then. Three cups of tea, coming right up." He turned and made his way into the kitchen, leaving you in the living room with Sans and Papyrus. Once again, you sat on the couch and placed Papyrus on one side of you, Sans sitting on his other side so the tiny skeleton was in between the two of you again. The older of the two gave you a curious gaze.

 

            "why are you guys back so early?" Papyrus turned and gave you a similar look. It seemed like he was confused about that too, and you couldn't help but smile at how cute that was.

 

            "There was an accident at the LAB. Your dad's best friend was almost dusted, and I could've been killed, so Gaster decided to take the next week off to keep me safe while I get better." Sans gazed at you in surprise before leaning over Papyrus to hug your leg.

 

            "noooooo!! i don't want you to get hurt!!" Now Papyrus was mimicking his brother, hugging your leg to the best of his ability and making an upset noise.

 

            "Awwww.." You smiled and wrapped your arms around the two, giving the one collective hug. "You guys are too sweet."

 

            "Oh, what's this?" Gaster was now in the doorway of the kitchen, a smile of his own adorning his face. "I come back while the water boils and there's suddenly a group hug? And _I wasn't invited?_ " You playfully stuck your tongue out at him before continuing to hug the skeletons.

 

            "Nope! Only cuties are allowed in this hug!" Gaster's smile grew wider.

 

            "Then what are _you_ doing in there, ______?" You let out a gasp, mock surprise visible on your face as Sans giggled, Papyrus mimicking his brother again and laughing as well.

 

            "How _dare_ you, sir! I'll have you know, it was my cuteness that saved Xander today!" The doctor tilted his head, still smiling.

 

            " _Really_ now?"

 

            "You got that right! My cuteness is the ultimate weapon! I bet I could even take down the _King_ with it!" Now Gaster was laughing, a light purple blush appearing on his cheekbones. You smiled wider and had a sudden idea. " _Oh!! Wait!!_ A wild cutie appeared!" This made Gaster pause, his blush growing darker. Jesus Christ, that only made him cuter.

 

            "...Did you just call me-"

 

            "Just get in this hug already." You waved him over, even holding a hand out for him. He stared for a bit before giving you a slightly awkward smile _(oh god you didn't offend him did you??)_ and walking over, taking your hand and sitting on the other side of Sans so he could hug each of you. It was rather nice. You hadn't had a family hug with your parents in a while, and while these weren't your parents, it was close enough to make you feel happy. Yeah, these monsters weren't your family, but...maybe they were welcoming you in? Gaster did say that you'd be staying with him for a bit, and besides Grillby, these were the first monsters you had interacted with on a personal level. It was...nice. You honestly felt happy for a moment.

 

\--

 

            It didn't take long for the water to finish boiling, and Gaster was able to whip up the tea in no time. While the four of you were at the table, the two of you began discussing your condition, and you mentioned how your headache went away when Xander gave you that Cinnamon Bunny. As expected, he came to the same conclusion as his friend had. While monster food didn't immediately cure your condition, it seemed to be speeding up the healing process dramatically. The dizziness hadn't bothered you today, and although you were still pretty sensitive to light and sound, your head felt pretty clear. Gaster was sure the tea was also helping, but he still wanted you to rest and not be up and about. He had read in one of the books that had fallen underground that a human's brain healed much faster while the slept, and you couldn't argue with that, seeing as you had heard the same thing. Besides, this tea was pretty relaxing. It cave you a warm, cozy feeling that was enticing you to sleep. There was no arguing with that.

            Once again, you tried to convince Gaster that you'd be fine on the couch, but he was adamant that you use his bed instead, seeing as you were the guest. You relented, and he helped you upstairs, just in case a bout of dizziness popped out of nowhere, but you made it to his room with no problem. Once your head hit the pillow, it took a few minutes, but you successfully fell asleep, and when Gaster peeked in later to check on you, he smiled. Maybe you were on to something when you were boasting about your cuteness. However, he stopped himself before he could entertain those thoughts. You were a guest, and once you were better, you'd likely move on to a place of your own if you could find it. Hopefully you'd come visit every now and then, seeing as Sans and Papyrus seemed to really like you. Regardless, you were alright now, and it was his job to make sure you got well enough to take care of yourself again. With that, Gaster stepped back out into the hall, closing the door softly so as not to disturb you.

 

            "Sweet dreams, ______."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title: Gaster Doesn't Get Paid Enough to Deal With this Shit


	15. Nice to Meet You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's another human in the Underground.

        "So hey," you began. By now, you had finished your breakfast and were currently working on a glass of milk while Xander washed the dishes he had used. He flicked an ear to acknowledge you. "Are turtlenecks all that Gaster wears? Not that I'm complaining, these are actually _really_ comfortable, but I haven't seen him in anything else besides that lab coat, and even then, he just puts it over his sweater. What's the deal?" The question made Xander laugh as he rinsed off a soapy plate.

 

        "Yeah, he's always liked cozy stuff over everything else. You said it yourself; those sweaters are really comfy, and G has a lot on his plate lately, so he's got to find small ways to relax. Plus they cushion his bones and everything, but that's just boring skeleton stuff." Now _you_ were smiling, and you took another sip of milk while glancing into the living room. Sans was cheering on his brother while Papyrus was thinking very carefully about where to place the last piece of the puzzle he was still working on. His progress had been halted when Xander made him stop to eat, but now the baby monster was trying to finish the job. He picked up the piece and squinted at it, switching his gaze from the piece to the puzzle, then back to the piece. Finally, he placed the piece in it's spot and gently pushed it into place with his hand. Papyrus grinned and started giggling, clapping his tiny hands while Sans started laughing too.

 

        "good job bro! you did it!" The oldest brother hugged the younger one as the two continued to laugh just a little bit longer, and you couldn't help but smile. That was just cute. How did you ever find such adorable kids to stay with?

        ...Well, that was rhetorical. You knew exactly how, even if it was a bit fuzzy. Although, it did bring up something from the past you had nearly forgotten about. The first time you had spoken to Sans, he said something about his dad being excited to see _another_ human. From what the King and Queen told you, no human or monster could ever cross the barrier, so that could only mean that there had been another human here before you, and that if they really existed, then they would still be here. Right?

 

        "Hey Xander?" The cat in question flicked an ear.

 

        "Mhm?"

 

        "Is...there another human down here with us?" By now, he had finished washing dishes and placing them on the drying rack beside the sink, allowing him to turn and face you.

 

        "Who told you about them?" From the sound of it, the two of you were both curious about something. You about the other human, and Xander about how you found out so quickly.

 

        "Well, it wasn't that hard to catch on. One of the monsters at the LAB mentioned the bathrooms getting more use now that another human was here." A pause. It was almost as if Xander was expecting something else. "...And Kid may have mentioned something about 'another' human."

 

        "Ah, there it is." You gave him a questioning look. "I don't know if ya noticed, but Kid is a bit of a chatterbox, and it gets a little worse when she's very excited. I just had a sneaking suspicion that she managed ta let slip a few things when she went ta go check on you." Ah, okay. That kind of explained why he had asked, but-

 

        "There's definitely another human here though, right?"

 

        "What? Oh, yeah. They're a lot younger than you, so the King and Queen adopted them as their kid. When they first got here, they were pretty hurt, you know. Like you, I guess, but they must have landed better since they healed a lot faster." All you could do was sit and listen as Xander told you about this other human. From the sound of it, they had to be a kid, and the thought of that made your stomach flip a couple times. A _kid_ actually fell down here? How come you didn't see any missing child posters around town then? Even if it had been a while ago, you _surely_ would have remembered seeing something like that. A child didn't just up and _disappear_ like that!

 

        "Do ya wanna go visit them?" You blinked as Xander's question pulled you from your thoughts.

 

        "...What?" A smile grew on the cat's face, and he repeated himself.

 

        "I said, do ya wanna go visit them? I don't have anything planned for today, and so long as I watch you and the boys, we can go wherever we want. Sooo..?" Well... You'd be lying if you said you weren't curious. Why not? You hadn't done much down here anyway.

 

        "Sure. But let me get my hair in order first." Bed head wasn't very presentable, and you preferred Gaster's comfy sweater over your pajamas. You weren't even sure if they were clean, actually. Where were they?

 

        "Alright! I'll get the boys ready while you do that, mkay?" You smiled back at Xander, glad to finally be going out and doing something. Hopefully this would go well.

 

\---

 

        "Okay, a word of warning." Xander had stopped the two of you in front of the King and Queens house just before knocking. Sans sat atop his shoulders while you held Papyrus in your arms. The two of them had been behaving pretty well on the way there, with Sans just watching and listening to the conversation while Papyrus babbled every now and then. However, the sudden sentence from Xander surprised you. What kind of warning did you need? Weren't you just going to visit a kid? "The King and Queen have two kids, one being their own son, and the other being the human. Their son is as sweet as can be, and the human is actually very nice and chill, but their eyes are...kind of creepy. It kind of feels like they're watching you, waiting for something, and I usually just brush it off, but don't be surprised if you catch them staring intently at ya. I promise, they're not plotting your death or something like that."

 

        "Okay..?" Because _that_ wasn't unsettling at all. Was it really as creepy as Xander was making it sound? What if the other human didn't like you and gave you a different stare? Great, now you were having second thoughts. Maybe-

 

        "Alright, here goes nothing!" Before you could further question your decision, Xander knocked on the door, and a couple moments passed before someone answered it. Toriel smiled at the sight of company, and for a moment, that smile made you feel a little better.

 

        "What a surprise! I was not expecting such cute company!" You were sure she was talking about the kids, but the queen reached forward and patted your head, doing the same with Xander, then Papyrus and Sans. The two kids giggled as she did so, and the goat monster stepped aside once she was done, letting the four on you inside. "Please, come in! To what do I owe the pleasure? Come to visit me now that things have settled down?" With a smile, Xander set Sans down next to him.

 

        "Actually, we were hoping to see Chara. ______ wanted to meet them since they're the only other human in the Underground, and who am I to deny them, you know? Toriel nodded in understanding, giving you a gentle smile as she stepped aside.

 

        "Then by all means, please come in! Asriel and Chara are playing in the garden right now. I'll fetch them while you make yourselves comfortable, alright?"

 

        "Thank you, your highness!" Toriel shut the door behind you and walked off, and although you were still nervous, you tried to keep your head high as you followed Xander to the living room with Papyrus still in your arms. The cat monster offered you the seat in the fluffy chair, but you shook your head. You preferred to stand. It gave you something to focus on instead of the bundle of nerves in your gut. namely making sure you didn't drop Papyrus.

        "Hey," Xander grabbed our attention. "Don't be nervous, okay? I know I said not to freak out about their eyes, but I also said they're pretty chill, remember? There's really nothing to worry about, I promise. Just be yourself! You'll be fine, I swear!" Although you were still a little nervous, Xander's words helped soothe you a bit. You gave him a thankful smile, but turned your attention to the doorway as voices drifted in from beyond.

 

        "Do you think they'll like me, mom?? I really hope they like me, do you think they'll like me??"

 

        " _I_ like you."

 

        "But what about the _new_ human??" Toriel cut off the small voice before it could go on.

 

        "My child, _please_. You will be fine! They are very nice, so you have no reason to fret over this." Huh. That situation sounded kind of familiar.

 

        "I'm sorry, I'm just really- Ohmy _goshhello!!"_ A smaller goat had walked into the room, his eyes shining with excitement. You were surprised at the amount of energy he had, but disregarded it as he quickly ran over to you. "My name is Asriel, and this is Chara!" You looked to where the little goat was pointing and finally noticed the other child hanging back with Toriel in the doorway.

 

        Oh shit.

 

        They were giving you a death stare.

 

        "So what's _your_ name??" Asriel pulled you from Chara's gaze with his question, but you were thoroughly shaken at the look that the other child was still shooting your way.

 

        "Oh, uh- I'm _______." You knelt down and shifted Papyrus to one arm so you could hold out a hand towards Asriel. "I-It's nice to meet you." As soon as he came close and shook your hand, Papyrus cooed and reached out to try and pat Asriel's face. The goat child laughed and let Papyrus grab his other hand.

 

        "Hiya, Papy! Just as happy as always, huh?" The baby monster giggled again, and you dared to crack a smile at the heartwarming scene before noticing movement out of the corner of your eye. Chara had tugged on Toriel's dress and whispered something to her when she bent down. Afterwards, the queen of monsters stood back up and smiled.

 

        "______, Chara wishes to show you their room! Would you like to see it?" Fuck.

 

        "Uh-" You looked over to Xander, who was giving you an encouraging nod, before looking back to Chara and noticing the predatory smile they were giving you. Good god, you were going to die. "..S-Sure...Why not..?" Chara's smile grew, and as Asriel gently offered to take Papyrus, the other human ran over to you and grabbed one of your hands, already pulling you across the room and towards the doorway.

 

        "Have fun, you two!" Toriel gave you a sweet smile as you passed by, but it failed to soothe you as Chara dragged you down the hall opposite to the living room and further away from everyone else.

        Once the two of you reached the first door on the left, Chara opened it and pulled you through before leaving you in the middle of the bedroom and hastily rushing back to shut the door. In the small amount of time that Chara had let you go, you managed to catch a glimpse of two beds on either side, a closet in the center of the wall, and a box of toys at the foot of the right bed. However, the sound of the door brought you back to reality, and you quickly turned toward Chara with fear written all over your face.

 

        "Please don't hurt me!" Yes, you were afraid of a child because you knew that children could be some of the most evil beings in the world, so you weren't ashamed of being afraid right now. Surprisingly, Chara glanced at you over their shoulder with something like confusion in their eyes, but it was quickly replaced with fury as they fully turned towards you and began closing in.

 

      _"Why are you here?!"_

 

        "W-What?" You backed up as Chara closed in further, only to be stopped by the closet behind you. Crap. You were trapped.

 

        "I said _why are you here?!_ " They stopped in front of you, glaring up at you with absolute hatred. "There shouldn't be _any_ other humans here, so why are _you_ here?! Tell me!!" Actually afraid that this kid might do something crazy and a little curious as to what they meant, you gave Chara an answer immediately.

 

        "I-I didn't _mean_ to be down here! I just went camping with my friends and there was this _hole_ and I accidentally fell and broke my arm-"

 

        _"Liar!"_ Before you could say anything more, Chara jumped up and grabbed one of your arms, yanking it to their level and squeezing. "Your arm isn't broken!" Cringing in pain a bit (yikes, this kid had a strong grip), you tried to defend yourself with words once more.

 

        "That's because Gaster healed it! You can ask him yourself!" Chara narrowed their eyes, but refused to let you go, even as you tried to pull away.

 

        "And that's another thing! How _dare_ you trick that nice family into taking you in?? If you hurt them, I'm gonna-"

 

        _"I didn't trick them!"_ You interrupted Chara in hopes that they might actually listen this time. "I didn't trick _anyone!_ I didn't even know all this was down here before I fell, and even then, I thought I was just hallucinating because of my concussion!" As expected, your words made Chara pause, and you once again saw confusion in their eyes. This didn't last long, however, before the anger and distrust once again replaced the confusion.

 

        "I don't believe you," Chara muttered angrily.

 

        "I _swear_ , I haven't lied at all! _Please_ believe me!"

 

        "And why should I do _that?!_ " The child snapped at you, yanking on your arm and pulling you down to the ground (wow, this kid was strong). "Humans _always_ lie! They do nothing _but_ lie! Humans lie and hurt you and cheat you, and they do it _all the time_ without even _thinking_ about it! They're _horrible_ , and they all need to just _die_! These monsters down here have more kindness than _anyone_ I've _ever_ met, and I won't let you come down here and _ruin it all!!_ " You were stunned. At first, you had only thought that Chara was a demon child who acted sweet around their family and tormented others behind their backs, but now your opinion of them had made almost a complete 180. _Almost_. They were still very scary and terrifying, but...

        For a moment, you simply stared at them in astonishment before quietly uttering the only thing you could think of.

 

        "Who hurt you..?" Chara visibly flinched at the question, looking more confused than ever. You thought they had changed their mind about hurting you because of the look they were giving you, but then a dangerous gleam filled their eyes as they loosened their grip on your arm.

 

        "... _I_ know how to make you talk." something about the way they said that left a horrible feeling in your gut, but before you could do anything to try and defend yourself, there was a sudden tugging in your chest. You placed one hand over the spot to try and soothe the feeling, but it only got worse and worse until something forced its way past your hand, leaving you feeling breathless and...empty. When you looked up to see what had left your body and made you feel so incomplete, you discovered a scarily mesmerizing sight. Chara's hand was outstretched, their palm upturned as a small purple heart came to rest in it. For some reason, the color had drained from all of your surroundings, leaving only the deep purple heart standing out with its hue.

 

        "Wh..?" You tried to ask what was going on, but seeing Chara tighten their grip on the heart filled you with a sense of panic that you couldn't explain. Seeing your reaction brought an evil smile to Chara's face, and the yfinally began speaking.

 

        "You know what _this_ is?" Still panicked that they would crush the little heart, you quickly shook your head, seeing the heart glow a little brighter. Chara frowned a little, but didn't tighten their grip, which greatly relieved you. " _This_ is your SOUL. This is the very core of _everything_ you are. You know what that means?" The child leaned in towards you, both hands now holding the heart as it began to tremble in their grip. "It means... If I destroy _this_ , I destroy _you_. Now _TALK!_  Why are you here, and don't even _think_ about lying to me!! _I'll know_ if you do!" Chara tightened their grip once more, scaring you further as you felt a sort of pressure in place of the empty feeling in your chest. _"SOULS don't lie."_ Right away, you gave Chara their answer, recounting everything from the day this all began without hesitation.

        You told them of the life you had on the surface, how you had been rejected by the colleged you applied to, but still kept applying. You told them of the overbearing sadness you had been feeling and how Tyler and Audrey had convinced you to go on a camping trip on Mt. Ebott, where you roasted marshmallows and had a toast to a better future. You told them of the wish you made on a star, followed by the fall, breaking your arm, and navigating through the Underground with a concussion to get help from Gaster. You told them _everything_ you had experienced, not daring to leave out the intruding thoughts and comparisons about your family that arose throughout your stay down here. They wanted the truth, and you were going to give it to them, if only to see that little heart of yours live to see another day. Throughout your tale, both you and Chara took note of the way the purple SOUL glowed brightly, shining on as you kept going and going. Chara listened intently, their eyes never leaving the bright glow, and when you finished your tale, they set their sights on you once more.

        You were a mess. Retelling the story of your fall had brought up all the bad feelings and thought you had been trying to ignored, and coupled with the fear of death looming over you, it was enough to make you lose your composure. You continuously sniffled as you tried not to let the tears in your eyes overflow. All the hate left Chara's gaze when they finally put all the pieces together and realized what they had done. Your whole world had been turned completely upside down over a single night, and during a serious emotional ordeal too. Everything had changed in an instant while you were in a vulnerable spot, and now you were in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. Despite being treated with nothing but kindness, you were still scared, especially of _them_. You had been hurt before, whether you realized it or not, and even though you _knew_ this visit might not have gone well, you still came to see them just to find some semblance of familiarity in the only other human that was in this strange new world. That's why you came to see them today. You were seeking the only other person that looked like you, as well as confirmation that you were allowed down here while being from the species that had trapped these monsters down here, so you came to _them_.

 

        And they had just hurt you without even thinking about it.

 

        Chara looked down at your SOUL in their hands, a sickening feeling settling in their stomach at the sight of it. With a small frown, they took a step towards you, only succeeding in making you flinch back a bit. They stopped, realizing you were still afraid that they would hurt you again. A moment of silence passed, and they sighed. Looks like there was only one way to fix this.

 

        "...I'm sorry." A pause. You looked up at them, still sniffling a little. "It wasn't right of me to do all of this. I did the exact same thing that I hated to you, and I'm sorry. I just- I was afraid that you'd mess things up down here when it's already perfect. I think it's much better down here with these monsters than up there with all the other humans, but I still shouldn't have scared you like that, and I'm sorry. So..." Chara knelt down, now shorter than you again, and held out your SOUL to you. "Here. I shouldn't have taken this out without your permission." You stared at the child in shock and confusion. This was the _last_ thing you expected them to do, especially after the death threat they had given you just moments ago, but the sincerity in their eyes made you hesitate. It actually looked and sounded like Chara was sorry, and they were holding out your SOUL to you anyway, even having a very good apology to boot. Was it safe to trust them now, or...?

        With a little hesitation, you slowly reached out and took the purple heart, bringing it close to your chest and watching as it melted into your body and disappeared. You took a deep breathe, finding it much easier to breath, and you finally felt whole again. Thank god.

 

        "I want to start over," Chara started. They gave you one more smile, but this time, it was just a small one. No evil intentions behind it or anything, just an inviting smile. It kind of threw you off, actually. "My name is Chara. It's nice to meet you." The child held out a hand to you, but you once again hesitated. Did they _really_ just switch gears like this? Did they _mean_ it? You wouldn't see why not since they called themselves out on their behavior and how close it was to the kind of things they hated, but there was still that bit of fear from earlier, seeing as they very nearly just killed you. Would you really forgive them so easily?? Or...maybe you would just go along with it? It wouldn't hurt to test the waters a bit, and if nothing else happened today, then you would be able to tell Gaster straight away what happened after you saw him again later today. He would be able to protect you if anything happened right? Or maybe he could just tell you how the hell to keep your SOUL from being pulled out again or whatever the heck happened because that was just terrifying. Whatever the case, you were going to have some questions for Gaster when he came home later on, and seeing as there was really nothing else for you to do, save for rejecting the offer, you might as well accept this kid's kindness. With a slightly shaky hand (you had nearly _died_ , man!!), you took Chara's hand a returned the smile, albeit a bit nervously.

 

        "...______. N-Nice to meet you too..." Chara's smile grew, and this time it was just a bright and happy smile, like a child _should_ have. It settled your nerves just a bit, but you were surprised by the sudden hug that they leaped forward to give you.

 

        "I really am sorry. I'm glad you're a good human." Aww. Okay, this was kind of cute. You couldn't help the smile growing on your own face, and you found yourself instinctively wrapping your arms around them and returning the hug.

 

        "...Thanks, Chara." The two of you stayed like that, silently grateful that things never escalated and that nobody was hurt. It was really kind of nice, and hugs were always welcome, even if they were from secretly homicidal children that may have threatened to kill you, only to turn right back around and revoke the threat with an apology. Maybe you'd give Chara a chance after all. Just a little one since they sincerely seemed to be sorry.

 

        But you were still going to tell Gaster about this because _fuck_ , that was _scary_.

 

 

 

        Oh my _g o d ._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	16. These Kids Are Too Precious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time gets a bit wonky, but you manage to remember some things between bouts of sleep.

        Days blurred together while you slept. Maybe Gaster was onto something when he said you needed your sleep, but it felt like time was moving very quickly since you didn't seem to dream at all while you were sleeping. Maybe it was the whole brain healing thing that caused it? Regardless, you vaguely remember Gaster coming in during the morning(was it the next morning already?) with a bowl of oatmeal or something like that and asking you to eat. Things became a little clearer after that first spoonful, and you remembered Gaster wondering how you were feeling.

 

        "Sleepy. But okay." That had made him laugh a bit. It was a nice sound, and you smiled a bit before eating a bit more. When you had finished, Gaster ruffled your hair as he stood up, and you pouted at him, saying you weren't a child. Yet again, he laughed, making you pout just a little less. With some reassurance that things were going well with his kids, he gave you a smile and left, leaving you to rest some more, and things once again blurred together. The creak of the door woke you up once, and you cracked your eyes open to see Grillby peeking in, so you gave him a sleepy smile, to which he waved back and then shut the door. You reminded yourself to ask about that later, but sleep called once again, and you fell back into darkness. Gaster woke you up twice more for lunch or dinner or something(which was it??), telling of how Sans and Papyrus were playing together a lot more, and that somehow Papyrus had begun crawling all on his own, no help needed. It was very surprising, and the skeleton was just _so proud of his son_ , it was very difficult not to smile, especially with the way his eyes lit up when describing that 'magical moment'. It was adorable, and you had laid back down while Gaster spoke, only to fall asleep while he was talking. You hoped he wasn't mad about it the next time you woke up, and fortunately, he wasn't. Every time he brought food up for you, things became a little more clear every time, and you soon began wondering how much time had passed since the blaster incident. Gaster brushed you off when you had asked, saying it wasn't important at the moment, and you went back to sleep. No dreams still, but every time you woke up, you could feel that all that sleep was helping.

        Now, though? There was something in the room with you. Small sniffling noises could be heard, and you assumed that's what woke you up. With a sleepy sigh, you sat up on your elbows, taking a look around through the darkness of the room. ....Oh. There was a tiny skeleton at the side of the bed.

 

        "..Sans?" The sniffling stopped, and Sans turned to face you, looking very surprised. However, you were pretty surprised yourself when you noticed tiny blue tears still clinging to his eye sockets. You sat up fully, concern visible on your face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" The monster sniffled once more, wiping at one of his eyes.

 

        "...i had a nightmare..." A part of you relaxed, glad that the little guy wasn't hurt or anything, but still. Nightmares as a kid were really scary.

 

        "I'm sorry about that. Why didn't you go to your dad? I'm sure he'd make things better." Sans hesitated, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

 

        "...i didn't want to bother him or paps.. it was a stupid nightmare, and-" You put a hand on his head, making a shushing sound.

 

        "Hold up. There's no such thing as a stupid nightmare. It genuinely scared you, right?" A little nod. "Then it's a nightmare, and you deserve to be comforted. Come on up here." You leaned down and hooked your hands under his arms, lifting the skeleton up onto the bed and into your lap. "There. Do you wanna talk about it?" A couple seconds passed before Sans shook his head, still looking pretty upset. You simply smiled at him, remembering how you were like that every now and then as a kid. "That's okay. Tell you what, you can sleep with me tonight. _I'll_ keep the nightmares away." Sans sniffled a little more before looking up at you- oh god, _those sad little puppy dog eyes were too cute._

 

        "...you promise?" You gave Sans the most sincere smile you could.

 

        "I promise." The smile Sans gave you was just the cutest thing ever, and God damn, you were gonna kick those nightmares' asses. With that, you laid down on one side, and Sans snuggled up to you after crawling under the covers. It didn't take long for either of you to fall asleep, but Gaster was in for a surprise the next morning when he went to check up on his kids. He had nearly started panicking when he couldn't find Sans, but when he checked his own room last, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he ran to get the camera.

        The next time you woke up, Sans was gone. There was a muffin on the bedside table(thanks Gaster), and you made quick work of it, seeing as your stomach felt pretty empty. Another round of sleep followed...

        And then you woke up on your own. Your head felt pretty clear, albeit being a little sleepy, and a quick look around revealed nothing really. With a thoughtful hum, you dragged your legs over the side of the bed and stood. Wow, no dizzy feeling. Cool. To take things a bit further, you approached the door and silently opened it, discovering all the lights were off. Was it the middle of the night? Looks like you'd have to be quiet. Good thing you had socks on- Wait a minute. Were these the same clothes you went to sleep in? You had a very nagging feeling that they weren't, and the thought of how this might have happened brought a blush to your face. Did....did Gaster change your clothes?

 

        "Fuck." A fiery blush broke out on your face as you willed the thought away. You couldn't just assume things like that! It'd be better to ask. Instead, you gently made your way down the stairs, being sure to hold on to the rail just in case. Surprise surprise, guess who was passed out on the couch. Gaster was splayed across the cushions like a rag doll that had been thrown down, one of his arms and legs hanging off the side from underneath the blanket. A soft light from the kitchen(when did that turn on?) was cast on his face, and you couldn't help but notice how comfortable he actually looked. How many times had he slept on the couch before you arrived? Whatever the case, you made your way over to the kitchen doorway, poking your head in to see...

 

        "Sans?" The small skeleton turned around, flinching away from the refrigerator. When he saw it was you, he smiled nervously, fidgeting in place as children tend to do.

 

        "uh..... i got hungry.." Silence. The poor kid probably thought he was in trouble, but you remembered doing the exact same thing when you were little. Instead of scolding him, you smiled and laughed, still keeping quiet so as not to wake Gaster.

 

        "That's okay. I think I could go for something too." Sans smiled at you and immediately began digging through the fridge again.

 

        "cool! what kinda snack do you want?" Taking a few steps into the kitchen, you couldn't help but yawn a bit, sleep still clouding your eyes.

 

        "I'm really thirsty." With that, Sans nodded and pointed toward one of the upper cabinets.

 

        "cups are in there." You opened the cabinet and picked out a cute little pink elephant cup. It was a little dented on the top, but the fact that the elephant trunk served as the handle made this cup too cute to  _not_  pick. "here ya go! we have some icy tea!"

 

        "Don't you mean iced tea?" Sand turned to look at you, a questioning look on his face.

 

        "what do you mean?" Instead of letting you speak, he brought out a half-filled pitcher of....tea? Except, it was like a slushie? The tea was more solid than liquid, and you had no idea how it stayed that way in the fridge. Everything about it confused you.

 

        "What the hell..?" Sans gasped, freezing like a deer in headlights.

 

        "you said a bad word!" Oh, right. Children were around.

 

        "Sorry." Instead of thinking about it too hard, you grabbed the pitcher and filled up your cup, putting the tea away as Sans got something that looked incredibly like a banana. You weren't going to ask what it was as you sat at the table, but you couldn't help yawning either after taking your first sip. "...Huh. Not bad." Strangely enough, there wasn't a wave of energy passing through you like there was for other foods and drinks. Maybe this drink had less magic in it? Oh well. Another thing to ask Gaster.

 

        "are you feeling better? dad said you needed a lot of sleep, so i'm sorry i woke you up earlier." Awww, how sweet.

 

        "Yeah' I'm feeling much better. I think I just need a little more sleep, and I'll be okay." Sans smiled at you, taking a bite of his banana-like fruit.

 

        "that's good! paps really wants to see you more, so hurry and get better so we can all play together, okay?" You gave him another smile, just loving how adorable this kid was.

 

        "Sure thing, Sans." The two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence as you glanced back into the living room, Gaster still passed out on the couch. Knowing he was a scientist, maybe he had worked really late before finding Sans and Papyrus? That would make sense. With a mental shrug, you downed the rest of the tea, yawning again. Wow, you were tired. Maybe you'd just close your eyes for a moment. Yeah, that sounded reasonable.

        Leaning your head on one hand, you yawned again and shut your eyes, feeling a little better already. You swore it was only for a moment, but when you cracked them open again, the room was moving, and someone was carrying you. Looking up revealed that Gaster was taking you back upstairs, probably to put you back to bed. Did you really fall asleep that easily? Oh well. It was nice that Gaster was doing this for you, so instead of questioning it, you simply closed your eyes and went back to sleep, a small smile spreading on your face.

 

        More time passed, and you couldn't really remember when you woke up again. The only other thing you remembered was a strange babbling sound coming from the side of the bed one night. You cracked your eyes open and squinted in the darkness. What the heck was making that noise?

 

        "B..buh.... Bah!"

 

        "not close enough, paps! ya gotta try again, okay? say 'dad'. come on, you got it."

 

        "...Dah?"

 

        "better, but not yet. try again." What the.... Were you hearing what you thought you were hearing? Staying as quiet as possible and not rustling the sheets, you sloooowly peeked over the side of the bed to see Sans and Papyrus sitting in front of each other. Luckily, neither of them were facing your direction and didn't see that you were awake.

 

        "Dada!" Sans smiled.

 

        "ooh, getting fancy, huh?" Papyrus giggled, making his brother smile even more. "good job, paps. do you wanna try some more or are you fine with what you got?" Holy crap. Papyrus was _practicing_. He probably wanted to surprise his dad with his first words by having them be perfect! That's probably how he managed to start walking on his own so suddenly!! _Ohhhhhh_ , that was so friggin' _cute!!_

 

        "...........Sas!" You saw Sans' eyes practically sparkle, and you had to try your best not to laugh.

 

        "oh my god. paps, that was _awesome_." Through the walls, you could faintly hear Gaster start calling for his kids. Sans and Papyrus turned to look at the door as the three of you heard footsteps approaching, and you quickly shut your eyes to pretend you were sleeping. The door opened, and you immediately heard Papyrus giggle as Gaster sighed.

 

        "Come on, you two. You know you're not supposed to be in here until ______ gets better." You heard movement and footsteps, only assuming that he went to pick up Papyrus(and maybe sans). "Now come on. I hear that Alphys is coming over later today. That sounds fun, don't you think?" A small gasp from Sans, followed by a giggle from Paps, and you heard more footsteps until the door was shut. After waiting a few seconds to be sure they were gone, you opened your eyes again.

 

        "...Oh my god..." A smile broke out on your face as you recalled the small practice session Sans and Papyrus had in the room. Gaster must be a fantastic father to these kids if they went through so much trouble just to surprise him! They were a lot smarter than they let on, too. You didn't want to know how bad that could turn out when they got older.

        With a comfy sigh, you snuggled back under the covers, still smiling like an idiot. This family was just too adorable for their own good, and thoughts of how Gaster might react to Papyrus' first word being perfect ran through your head until you fell back asleep.

 

        When you woke up again, it was to voices downstairs. You were still a bit groggy, but both voices coming from downstairs sounded familiar, and you were trying to focus on just who they belonged to until one of them disappeared, the sound of a door closing replacing it. You let out a rather large yawn and sat up, one hand rubbing sleep from your eyes. It took a few moments to convince yourself to get out of bed, especially since it was so warm and cozy, but you finally managed to stand up and shuffle over to the door. Coincidentally, someone familiar was coming up the stairs, and he stopped climbing them when he saw you.

 

        "Oh, ______! I was just coming to check on you. How ya feelin', friend?" While you were happy to see Xander, you were greatly confused as to why he was here.

 

        "I'm good. My head feels a lot clearer now, and uh....yeah." You took a moment to inspect yourself, only to notice that your clothes had changed again. Seriously, who was doing this while you were asleep??

 

        "Oh, awesome!" Xander's smiled widely, oblivious to your shock and confusion. "Come on downstairs then! I'm about to make everyone some breakfast while G's out and about, so don't drag your feet, okay?" The cat monster immediately ran back downstairs, where you could hear him begin to dig through the kitchen for something to make. With another glance at your clothes, you followed him down, seeing Sans and Papyrus sitting together on the living room floor, busy putting a puzzle together. It was a rather easy one, but it looked like Papyrus was thinking very carefully before placing each piece, and it was absolutely adorable. You cast them a smile, to which Sans smiled back, and stepped into the kitchen to sit at the table. The clanking of a few pots and pans echoed through the room for a moment before Xander finally found what he was looking for and set the pan on the stove top. As he turned on the heat and dug through the fridge for something, you finally realized what he was making when he brought out a carton of eggs. How monsters had eggs down here, you weren't going to ask, but some nice breakfast from a friend sounded wonderful.

 

        "Hey, so..." Xander turned, his whiskers twitching as he cracked open a couple of eggs.

 

        "What's up? Got any questions?" You simply stared at him for a moment. How on earth would you _not_ have questions? Oh, whatever. This guy was just plain silly.

 

        "Where's Gaster?"

 

        "Oh, he went to work. Gave me the day off so I could watch you and the kids. He actually left maybe a minute before I went up to check on you, but you beat me to the punch." ......Okay......

 

        "Uh...." With a quick glance at your clothes, you asked your second question. "Who changed my clothes while I was asleep?" Xander turned to fully face you, but kept an eye on the two eggs cooking in the pan.

 

        "Well, _you_ did, of course. You were awake and everything, so G brought you some clothes to change into after you took a shower every other day or so." A moment of silence passed as you gave him a confused look.

 

        "...I did?" He nodded, looking over to check the eggs. You scratched your head in thought, honestly trying to recall the moments you'd been told about, but you just couldn't remember. And every other day? That wasn't possible, was it? After all, it had only been maybe three or four days since Gaster brought you back from the LAB, so how on earth had you had the time to take a whole shower more than once and even change clothes? Unless... "Hey Xander?" The monster in question flipped the eggs before turning back to you. "...How many days have passed since the blaster incident?"

 

        "Uh, let me think.." Xander's whiskers twitched again as he counted the days in his head. If he was going by the standard twenty-four hour routine that everyone else underground did, assumed that the people on the surface still followed the same pattern, and remembered that seven days went into a week, then- "It's been about a week and a half." Your eyes practically flew out of your head.

 

        **_"What??"_** _It had been that long?!_ Jesus Christ, you hardly remembered _any_ of that!! Was your head really okay?! What if that concussion did more damage then you thought?? Oh god, there was probably something wrong with you now! You probably had permanent brain damage or-

 

        "Hey, hey, calm down!" Xander placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, and you only just noticed that he had taken the pan off the fire. "Look, Gaster told me something like this might happen. It was just your brain leaving out all the unimportant things while it healed, okay? He _guarantees_ that once the concussion is gone, you shouldn't have any problems with your memory from that point on. You might get migraines every month or so, but that's the worst of it. Maybe you've finally gotten better, yeah?" He gave you a smile and a pat on the head. "Now stop panicking. I'm gonna make some toast." You just stared up at him for a moment before nodding slowly, still a bit stuck in your thoughts as he took out some bread.

        There was a decent sized gap in your memory now, but Gaster said that was normal? Maybe it was, although you still weren't very comfortable with the fact that the past week and a half was mostly just black. Something about it just unsettled you, but you could vaguely recall football players back in high school complaining about the same thing. It didn't make you feel much better, but it did kind of convince you to believe what Xander said just a little bit more. Besides, if something else went wrong, you had no doubt that your new friends would do everything in their power to try and help you. At least, you knew your _old_ friends would, so maybe these new ones would too.

        You were snapped from your thoughts by the sound of toast popping up from the toaster. To your surprise, Xander was already making two more eggs and had put in two more pieces of toast. He glanced at you before handing you a place with an egg and some toast on it.

 

        "Here. You must be pretty hungry. I can make some more after." He turned back to the stove, and you couldn't help the smile that crept onto your face. What were you thinking? _Of course_ these guys would help you. They were just as nice as Audrey, Mike and Tyler. Man, you were lucky to have found them. With a happy sigh, you picked up one of the forks that was set on the table and almost started eating before remembering one more question.

 

        "Wait, hold on. Papyrus started walking, right? Has he started talking yet?" This time, Xander's tail twitched, and he froze. Sloooowly, he peeked over his shoulder at you.

 

        "....You didn't catch him practicing, did you?" In response, you gave him a knowing smile. "Oh my god." He quickly turned back to the stove, flattening his ears in what you could only assume to be embarrassment. "....No. He hasn't. But he's ready to." This made you smile even wider, and having gotten your answer, you finally scooped some food into your mouth.

 

 

        Gaster was in for a surprise when he got home later today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for taking so long on this!! I honestly meant to update a long time ago, but I just didn't. There really isn't an excuse, and I just want to apologize again for making everyone wait so long.
> 
> Please don't be too upset ;n;


	17. For Science Q&A!

I APOLOGIZE, BUT NO, THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE!

However!

This is a Q&A chapter for you guys to ask me questions about your favorite story! I’m currently working on For Science, which is my Undertale story, and seeing as it won’t be done for a while, I thought I would give you all something to do while you wait! I’m posting this to ALL my stories so you can choose whichever one you like to ask questions about! Of course, there are a few simple guidelines...

1\. Please be respectful and patient. Everyone has a life outside Quotev, and I am no different, so it will take time for me to respond.  
2\. Look at what has already been asked before submitting a question. Someone may have already beaten you to the punch!  
3\. Keep the questions as on topic as possible! I will answer a few personal questions about me if I feel like it, but other than that, try to ask things pertaining to the characters or the story itself! Maybe even my methodology for writing?  
4\. No spammers, please. That just ruins the fun for everyone.

And there you have it! These are my guidelines for you, and now you are free to go ahead and ask (almost) anything you would like. So go on, go for it!

I’ll be waiting! <3


	18. Q&A 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First batch of questions!

Alright, first round of questions! You guys sure do work fast, don't you? Now before we start, I'd like to mention that my stories are posted on both Quotev and Archive of Our Own, so I will be answering questions from both sites. Not only that, but some of the links don't change to their display names either, and I don't know why. That being said,

Alright, first round of questions! You guys sure do work fast, don't you? Now before we start, I'd like to mention that my stories are posted on both Quotev _and_ Archive of Our Own, so I will be answering questions from _both_ sites. Not only that, but some of the links don't change to their display names either, and I don't know why. That being said, let's get on with it already!

 

**QUOTEV QUESTIONS**

        _[ᗩᑎᎥᗰᗴᗴᗰᑭᎥᖇᗴ](https://www.quotev.com/AnimeEmpire)  Take your time, we'll all be happy to see an update no matter how long it takes. Quality over Quantity is also a good way to think of it.   
As for a question: What is your inspiration for writing stories like this one? Is there another book that inspired you or a mentor who encouraged you to write?_

Ah, thank you for your patience, friend! That's a _very_ good way of thinking! As for your question, I can't really say for sure. If I recall, I know I created these X Reader stories because I found the characters I'm pairing the reader with to be the most interesting in my book (come on, just look at how cute Gaster is), but I can't ever really see myself in a romantic relationship, so I can't pair myself with them. Besides, that's just kind of....eh.... Anyway, I guess that I imagined cute/sweet scenarios happening between the characters and the reader? And I suppose that I just went ahead and made a story from it all. Like I said, I can't really be sure where my inspiration comes from. It's usually spur of the moment, but only the _special_ stories make the cut and get published online.

 

         _[YOU ARE FOOKING BEAUTIFUL](https://www.quotev.com/AmiLovesCosplay)  Seeing as (most of) the main characters of Undertale in this are just kids, are you going to have Undyne in this as a child (like Alphys), or as an adult? Same goes for Grillby, Blooky, MTT, and others. _

                I like to imagine that Undyne and Alphys are at least somewhat around the same age when they get together in Undertale, so that means that yes, Undyne will be a child in this story. As for Grillby, that's self explanatory. He's already an adult running his own bar, you know? Napstablook isn't any defined age, so I'm going to assume he is the same age throughout the years. He will be the same as seen in Undertale. Mettaton will not be known as Mettaton for the first portion of this story, and he will be in his ghost body before his robot body is ever made. As for any others? Well, you'll just have to fine out now, won't you? :)

 

        [www.quotev.com/agirlpokemonmaster ](https://www.quotev.com/agirlpokemonmaster%C2%A0) _Alright, my question is a simple one: how are you so good at doing cute moments? This story has won over my heart and made me awww a lot_

                That's good! That means I'm writing the cute moments as cute as they are in my mind! As for _how_ I do that, well, uh.. I usually try to come up with something cute in my mind, and if it makes me smile and squeal in public when there's nothing cute around...that means it's cute enough to be put in my story. If ideas in my mind are strong enough to make me physically react to them, then I include them in my writing. That make sense?

 

        [www.quotev.com/SecretlyATatocorn ](https://www.quotev.com/SecretlyATatocorn%C2%A0) _What's your favourite "baby" monster, and why?_

                Oof, that's a hard one. All the baby monsters are cute... UGH, I can't just choose ONE!! Do you know how CUTE everyone is?! Kid is cute, but her little brother MK is so TINY AND ADORABLE, and then there's Alphys and then Undyne and- Hm... Well, he doesn't count as a baby. Sorry! Can’t give you an answer to that one! There are just too many cuties to choose from ;v;

 

        [www.quotev.com/Lyrican ](https://www.quotev.com/Lyrican%C2%A0) _"Why do you write the stories that you do, and how do you keep all of the information about the stories locked up in your head with barely any foreshadowing?"_

                I usually write the stories I do because I find the characters I’m pairing the reader with the most interesting to me. Yeah, Sans is cool, Asgore is fluffy, Papyrus is adorable, and Mettaton is fabulous, but Gaster? We hardly know anything about him! We don’t really know if he’s even a skeleton, and we don’t know if the W.D. actually stands for Wing Dings or not, and we don’t know which monsters he could possibly be related to, if any. All of this is just pure speculation, and trust me, I love the Dadster stuff, but Gaster himself is just so mysterious and cool that I can’t help liking him so much. THAT is why I started writing For Science, and similar reasons go for the rest of my stories. Why do you think Tale as Old as Ink is a Sammy X Reader (albeit a Beauty and the Beast AU)? As for keeping everything in my head? I can’t answer that very well either. I suppose I just love my story so much that everything I want to do just sticks in my head? Except For Science. This one is expected to be my longest story yet, and I actually needed to write a timeline for all the things I wanted to do in comparison to what events happen in the Underground........ Yeah. Let that sink in. We have a LONG way to go before the end comes.

 

        [www.quotev.com/WolfOfThreeMoons ](https://www.quotev.com/WolfOfThreeMoons%C2%A0) _What inspired you to write this story? I like to wrote stories myself, but I can't find any inspiration._

                I can’t exactly say what first inspired me to write this story other than the fact that Gaster is so damn cool, but what keeps me going when inspiration is low is the fact that I have the ending already made up in my mind! The fact that I know how everything ends keeps me going when I find myself not wanting to write. Yeah, I get tired of it from time to time, but since I know where point b is, it’s easier for me to keep going so I can go from point a to point b. Does that make sense? Because I know where the end is and where I am in relation to that end, I know how much more I have to do, and therefore, I can write more to get myself closer to that end. No matter how long it takes me, I will always come back to my story because of this. I don’t plan to abandon ANYTHING, so rest assured that I will keep writing. Now that being said, this strategy may not always work for everyone. Each writer is different and has their own inspirations, so don’t be disappointed if this strategy doesn’t work out for you. You just haven’t found your niche yet! Just keep lookin for it, and I’m sure you’ll find i eventually. Good luck!

 

        [Keyana](https://www.quotev.com/Bubbly24) _I know this is getting ahead of myself (by a skele-TON------ba-ba-tsh!_ _), but when will Gaster realize he is head over heels for us? Also? DADSTER IS THE BEST_

        [Alice Shards](https://www.quotev.com/AliceShards) _I was just wondering if there was ever going to be a romance portion to this. As cute and adorable as the story is, it feels like Gaster is more so just the fatherly type than any love interest between him and "protagonist"._

                Don’t worry, don’t worry! I promise I’m not going to pull the same thing I did with The Main Attraction! Gaster will realize he loves us in time, but it’ll take a bit. I still need to set everything up. We need to meet a certain someone first, and then he has to finish his work on his Blasters, and- You get the idea. Things will start picking up soon, I swear. We’re gonna get to spend more time with Gaster after a couple more things, and one of my favorite parts will be coming up even sooner, so stay calm and don’t worry! I’m working on it ;u; And YES, Dadster is the BEST! I love him so much >w<

 

        [www.quotev.com/Rosewood109 ](https://www.quotev.com/Rosewood109%C2%A0) _whats your favourite part of writing about Gaster and his boys? and take your time, I know i have a few books that need updating and a compleat re-write from when I was 12 and 15 which where many years ago, buuut I got caught up with school, work, family and my boyfriend, so i can fully understand what goes on in life_

                Aaaaaa, thank you for your understanding! It's always nice to know that people understand when life gets in the way ;v; As for your question, jeez, where to I start?? It's fun writing Gaster when he's trying to be all professional or parent-like, but then it's also fun to write him when he's playing around and stuff! And then Sans has been really excitable lately, but I'll also get to write him more laid back in this next chapter, and of course Papyrus is always a delight! So I think the proper answer to your question is that I love writing for them pretty much all the time! They've all been such a blast to write for so far, and it'll only get better from here. Just wait until we get to the angsty parts! :D

 

        [Emiko](https://www.quotev.com/EmikoBlightheart) _Is someone going to spike the punch?_

                Don't you mean spike the tea? ;)

 

        [www.quotev.com/BlindNinja2020 ](https://www.quotev.com/BlindNinja2020%C2%A0) _First I would just like to say, I really love your story. Its rare to find, not only a great UT fic but also one that is of such good writing quality. The only question I have currently is, where did you learn how to write? Did you just pick up the various skills here and there or is there a specific source that taught you? I hope that makes sense. I love writing mechanics. I wish I could write characters and scenes as well as you do. Jeez, I sound so gushy, but I am serious._

READ. Read, read, read. That is my advice for developing writing skills. And I mean read ACTUAL BOOKS published by actual publishing companies, not just fanfiction you find online. You need to read as many books as possible, and I also recommend reading as many different authors as possible. Reading is an integral part of learning to write because it lets you see the point of view used by other authors and how they go about telling the story, whether or not they build suspense slowly or keep you terrified the entire time, whether they like to keep things predictable or whether they like to keep you guessing, and especially what sort of writing style they go for with what kinds of story lines. Sometimes the entire story will be in second person (you, your, yours), or maybe it'll switch from first person to first person (I, me, my), or, more often than not, the entire story will be in third person (they, their, theirs). Not only that, but some authors prefer to use longer, more expressive words to get their point across, while some prefer to use simpler words that are just as effective. The story line may jump all over in a way to try and confuse you on purpose, or it may be linear and have little detail to confuse you all the same. Different genres are also a good thing to look at, for every author has a genre they love to write for, and they each have a different style. When you read all sorts of books, you subconsciously absorb all these styles and start to form your own. Not only that, but if you've ever wondered how to use a semicolon (besides a winky face ;) ), seeing others use it in specific situations help to learn when and where it is appropriate. I was a major bookworm when I was little, and still kind of am, so I'm constantly seeing other writing styles and am gradually building my own style. Sometimes I try to switch it up, too! With my OFF story, Hit or Miss, I try to be more professional and uniform so the writing fits the style of the game, whereas with For Science, I allow myself to be a little less formal and more loose when writing. I've developed these habits as a result of reading from a young age, and also from writing my own stories back when I was in....first grade? It's been forever. I can't recall exactly when, but I've been writing for forever, and since I've soaked up all this extra info, it's come to show in my stories. These are the ways I learned to write, and although it won't immediately show results, you'll start seeing differences over time. Just be patient and read! It'll be fun, trust me :)

 

**THERE ARE NO ARCHIVE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW**

 

And there you have it! First Q&A is done, so don't forget to come back for more! I'll likely try to get the next chapter up before I post another one of these though, so please be patient and thank you for reading!


	19. Clarification

All new chapters will appear before the Q&A chapters, so  _yes_ , there is an update, and  _no_ , Quotev/Archive is  _not_ glitching out on you.

 

Please look again, and enjoy the chapter.

 

Thank you <3


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